From Pink Pog to Pink Pedersen: Lidl-Trek’s Mads Pedersen has become the first rider to pull on the coveted maglia rosa of this year’s Giro d’Italia, as he took victory at the end of the 160km opening stage finishing in Tirana, Albania.
His victory was the product of a masterclass by his team as Lidl-Trek upped the pace on the two climbs of the Surrel on the finishing circuit in the Albanian capital, forcing many of the pure sprinters out the back of the peloton.
Wout van Aert was second and Orluis Aular third, with Tom Pidcock sprinting well for fifth and most of the favourites for the overall title finishing safely in the bunch.
But there was bad news for several of the GC contenders as Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) shipped a minute and a half, mirroring his awful start to last year’s Giro, although in that edition he clawed his way back in contention in the second half of the race to finish sixth overall.
Derek Gee (Israel Premier-Tech) also lost a minute and Mikel Landa, the Spanish Soudal-Quick Step veteran, crashed out in the final 5km, his Giro hopes in tatters.
The Giro d’Italia continues tomorrow with the first of two time trials, a short and largely flat 13.7km run through Tirana which may provide an early battleground for the likes of GC favourites Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog:
Giro over for Mikel Landa
Mikel Landa has had to be stretchered away from the scene of his crash, inside the final 5km, and that’s the end of his Giro.
Hugely disappointing for the veteran, a constant inside the top ten in Grand Tours, and his Soudal Quick-Step team. They have sprinters in Ethan Hayter and Paul Magnier so will now switch to focusing on stage wins for them, but what a loss. Hopefully he’s on the mend soon.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:33
‘You always have to be afraid of Wout’ – Pedersen
Pedersen is asked about Van Aert, whose excellent but probably quite frustrating season continues with yet another near-miss after a succession of second and fourth places during the Classics.
“You always have to be afraid of Wout, he’s a really good bike rider and it’s not a given to win when he’s in the group so you have to handle that with respect and a bit of fear as well. But today I had the legs to finish it off for the team.”
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:28
‘Absolutely amazing’ to wear pink – Mads Pedersen
“This is my favourite [stage] now,” a smiling Mads Pedersen says on TNT Sports. “To win the stage and go in the pink jersey is absolutely amazing, especially after teamwork like this, it’s really incredible that the team works that hard and I can pay them back with a win.
“That was the exact plan, to push really hard on the climb and make it a smaller group, and then a sprint.
“It’s the first leader’s jersey I have in a Grand Tour so that’s something nice.” Possible some slight understatement there.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:25
Top five on stage one as Pedersen takes pink
2019 champion Richard Carapaz and British climber Max Poole are also in the top ten. That’s not a mix of names you see in the same top ten all that often.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:16
Big losses for Gee and Arensman
A day to forget for a couple of the GC hopefuls. Derek Gee crosses the line nearly a minute back; Thymen Arensman and Josh Tarling ship a minute and a half.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:12
Mads Pedersen wins stage one
A dramatic bunch sprint ends with Mads Pedersen and Wout van Aert crossing the line nearly neck and neck!
The Dane looked so strong but Van Aert came up at the last – but it’s Pedersen who takes pink at the end of a near-flawless day for Lidl-Trek.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:11
Final kilometre!
Under the flamme rouge and there’s a hodgepodge of riders here, GC contenders and sprinters alike… Lidl-Trek are back on the front with Pedersen behind Vacek.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:10
Into the final 2km
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe come to the front. Are they looking to shepherd Roglic to safety, or does he fancy a stage win and the pink jersey already?!
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:09
Crash at the back (5km to go)
A nasty crash on a descent as the riders swing left; Jay Vine is one of the riders down and Mikel Landa, Soudal Quick-Step’s big hope for the GC, is down on the pavement looking hurt; it looks like Vine may have gone over the top of an Israel Premier-Tech rider who hit the deck first.
Fingers crossed nobody is badly hurt but it doesn’t look good for Landa.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:07
GC contenders losing time (8km to go)
Derek Gee, Israel Premier-Tech’s big hope for the GC, is 25 seconds off the back, caught out in that split. Arensman is likely even further behind but the cameras haven’t picked up on him yet, or his time gap.
Lidl-Trek aren’t exactly piling on the pace, but Gee is losing a couple of seconds here and there. A bad start to his three weeks.
Flo Clifford9 May 2025 16:02
