Biniam Girmay's historic victory at the Giro d'Italia made him the first black African-American rider to win a Grand Tour stage. However, his celebrations came to an abrupt end when he injured his eye on the podium.

The cork from a champagne bottle on the podium after the race reportedly hit Gilmey, injuring his left eye.

RCS Sport, the race organizer of the Giro d'Italia, confirmed to Cycling News that Gilmey was examined by team and race doctors about 15 minutes after the accident and it was decided to take him to the hospital for additional medical checks.

"After the ceremony, Gilmey went blind. 'We immediately went to the hospital in Jessi where he was treated. He had hemorrhages in his anterior chamber of the eye. Such bleeding does not threaten the eye itself, but it is important to monitor its progress."

Intermarche Wanty-Gobert Matériault later confirmed to RCS Sport that Guillemay has returned to the team's hotel to rest after the medical check. The team will decide in the morning whether to continue before the 11th stage, Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna.

"At the moment it's getting better. At the moment it is getting better. But it will take another night to decide if we will start tomorrow," Danelles said.

"At the moment I don't think there is any permanent damage, but we will have to wait and see. There will be a new assessment tomorrow, but we are going to deal with this event very carefully."

Speaking with Radio 1's De Wereld Vandaag and reported by Sporza, university ophthalmologist Carina Koppen said cork injuries are common and can cause serious eye injuries.

"It happens all the time. Being on call as an ophthalmologist during the holidays, I find that this is one of the most common accidents. The cork can cause a very strong impact to the eyeball causing bleeding and bruising of the tissue. Not only can this cause temporary injuries, but it can also cause permanent damage to the eyeball. With bad luck, the eyeball can tear, requiring surgery. And that's not nothing."

Asked if the medical opinion is that Gilmey will be able to continue racing on Wednesday, Koppen said, "It's hard to say for sure. Even if the injury heals well and there are no lasting effects, his vision may be very limited. Perhaps he may not be able to see anything from the affected eye, and if his depth perception is lacking, Girmay will not be able to continue racing."

By defeating Mathieu Van der Pol (Alpecin-Phoenix) in the finish sprint on stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia, Girmay became the first Eritrean and the first ever Eritrean to win a stage in a Grand Tour.

The victory in Jessi followed his historic win in Gent-Wevelgem in March. In the Giro d'Italia, Gilmey finished second behind Van der Pol on the opening stage, and after four more top-five finishes, he won the 10th stage.

He is also second in Maria Ciclamino points behind Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ).

"Until the start of the Giro, I had a good chance to win and I achieved a good result. I am really grateful and happy," he said in an interview after his stage win, just before the podium presentation.