The former world champion Mads Pedersen beat Wout van Aert in a Sprint end to win the opening stage of the D’Italia turn on Friday and claim the first pink shirt of this year’s race, which began in Albania for the first time.
Pedersen, who won the world title in 2019, surpassed Van Aert by half a wheel in the mountainous stage of 160 kilometers (99 miles) from Durres to Tirana, which had a flat finish.
“We had a clear plan today and the team was really surprising to put that tempo on the climb. That was exactly what we wanted,” Pedersen said about how his Lidl-Trek team put himself in the last third category climb. “We did a plan and fulfill the plan.”
It was the second victory in the career stage of Pedersen in the turn, since he also won in Naples two years ago.
Pedersen has also won two stages in the Tour de France, and three in the Spanish Tour. The organizers of Giro d’Italia said he will be the first Denmark pilot to wear the pink shirt.
“To top it up with the pink shirt, it is absolutely incredible,” said Pedersen. “It’s my first leader’s shirt on a great tour.”
The Venezuelan rider Orluis Aular crossed third.
The race remains in Albania for two more days. Stage 2 on Saturday is an individual counterreloj of 13.7 kilometers in Tirana that will test general contenders such as Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso.
The great three -week tour returns to Italy for stage 4 in Puglia directly through the Adriatic Sea from Albania. The end is in Rome on June 1.
AP
