Portugal Colonial - Pedersen wins opening stage of Giro d'Italia in Albania

Pedersen was beautifully led out before resisting a late surge from Belgian Visma rider Wout van Aert. Primoz Roglic, the overall favourite to win the 21-day race, finished on the same time in a small bunch just behind.

"I knew he (Van Aert) was behind me so you never know if you can win until the line," said Pedersen.

"The team set it up. We rode hard and then got ahead for the finale."

Pedersen then took to the podium to slip on the iconic race leader's pink jersey and spray the crowds with a magnum of sparkling wine.

"It's the first leader's jersey I have in a Grand Tour, so that's something nice," said Pedersen, the 2019 world champion.

This was a 51st career win for Pedersen and his second on the Giro after one in 2023. He has also won stages at the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana.

Spanish climber Mikel Landa was one of five victims of a nasty crash on a tight corner 5km from the finish line as the 184 riders began their epic three-week 3,400km slog to the Vatican in Rome.

Landa, who was third on the Giro in 2015 and 2022, hit a curb and flew into a drop of one metre to the pavement and rolled in agony before being taken away in an ambulance, making him the first casualty of the Giro.

An enthusiastic early break surged ahead of the main peloton aiming for the first King of the Mountains blue jersey, taken by Cofidis rider Sylvain Moniquet.

Saturday's stage 2 is a 13.7km individual time-trial on the streets of the Albanian capital, with van Aert again a major contender for the stage and the pink jersey.

The time-trial features a short 1.3km climb, with the peculiarity of a U-turn at the top.

Sunday's stage 3 will suit the sprinters who were dropped in the hills on Friday as it is a flat run around the coastal city of Valona.

The final week of the Giro will be decisive with stage 20, which ends with a gruelling climb up the Colle delle Finestre to the Sestriere ski resort, the moment when the winner is likely to emerge.

H.Silva--PC