Alberto Dainese has secured the first stage win for an Italian at the 105th Giro d'Italia.
After 203 kilometres in Reggio Emilia, the 24-year-old professional cyclist won the bunch sprint against the Colombian Fernando Gaviria and Simone Consonni from Italy. The German professional cyclist Phil Bauhaus finished ninth.
Juan Pedro Lopez defended the overall leader's pink jersey. The Spaniard leads by twelve seconds ahead of Olympic champion Richard Carapaz from Ecuador and Portugal's João Almeida. Emanuel Buchmann from Ravensburg is still the best German, 69 seconds behind in ninth place.
After his champagne bottle mishap, Biniam Girmay did not start the 11th stage. The Eritrean had won the 10th stage of the Tour of Italy on Tuesday, but then accidentally shot the cork of the winner's champagne into his left eye on the podium. The 22-year-old was taken to hospital for examination. Although no serious injury was found, Girmay decided not to start on Wednesday and withdrew from the Giro. "I have to rest my eye," he said in a video message in the morning.
Girmay made cycling history on Tuesday in Jesi. He was the first Eritrean to win a stage of a major national tour. Girmay then celebrated on the podium. When he tried to open the champagne bottle, the cork shot into his left eye.
The longest stage of the 105th Giro d'Italia is on the programme for the riders on Thursday. The 12th stage leads over 204 kilometres from Parma to Genoa.
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