Cycling: “Grande Partenza” in Albania: Pedersen wins Giro start

Ex-world champion Mads Pedersen won the opening stage in Albania at the 108th edition of the Giro d’Italia. After 160 kilometers between the coastal city of Durres and the capital Tirana, the Dane won the “Grande Partza” in an exciting mass sprint in front of the Belgian Wout van Aert. Orluis Aular from Venezuela finished third. Almost five kilometers before the finish, there was still a severe fall, which injured Mikel Landa, among other things,.

No German driver made it to the top ten drivers. Sprinter Max Kanter fell back to the finish on the last climb. However, the German professionals around Maximilian Schachmann or the climbing expert and previous year’s departure winner Georg Steinhauser can have hopes for daily success on the three-week tour.

The reigning winner Tadej Pogacar stays away from the Giro. Primoz Roglic from the Red Bull team and Pogacar’s Spanish teammate Juan Ayuso are counted among the favorites.

Giro with flat two weeks

There are also two more stages in Albania on Saturday and Sunday before the racing drivers continue in Italy. After mostly flat first two weeks, the mountain challenges are only pending in the third week. On the second stage, the drivers can expect a single time trial over 13.7 kilometers with start and finish in Tirana.

The Giro is the first Grand Tour of the Year before the Tour de France in July and the Spanish Vuelta at the end of August. The tour of Italy ends after 20 remaining stages on June 1st in Rome. To commemorate the late Pope Francis, the professionals then drive through the Vatican for the first time.