Dutchman Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) gave the home crowds a perfect start to the 2016 Giro d'Italia by winning the opening time trial in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.
Dumoulin took the victory by just a fraction of a second ahead of surprise top finisher Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo), making his Grand Tour debut. The pair both clocked just 11 minutes and three seconds to complete the pan-flat 9.8-kilometre course.
>>> Giro d'Italia 2016: Latest news, reports and info
Andrey Amador (Movistar) placed third at six seconds. Pre-stage favourite Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) placed eighth having suffered from a stomach illness mid-week.
The Swiss rider's dream of wearing the maglia rosa of race leader may now never be realised if his expected retirement at the end of 2016 materialises.
Dumoulin's Giant-Alpecin team-mate Tobias Ludvigsson put down the early marker. Rider after rider of the 198 starters came through and did not better the Swede, and in the end he finished a creditable fourth.
Dumoulin now goes into stage two in the overall race lead. The stage is the second of three in the Netherlands, running from Arnhem to Nijmegen. It is widely expected to end in a bunch sprint.
Speaking after the stage, Dumoulin also revealed that he has been suffering with a stomach illness: "I’m a very lucky man today. I realise how narrowly I’ve won by. It was a lot of suffering, especially at the end of the course. I’m actually feeling sick with a stomach bug but I’m also so, so happy," he said.
"The effort I made at the Tour de Romandie to prepare for this time trial has paid off. I didn’t do my best time trial today but also not my worst one. I would have liked to go a bit faster but only the result counts and winning here in the Netherlands is so special."
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) was the best of the other general classification favourites, placing 16th at 19 seconds. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was 23rd at 24 seconds, Rigoberto Uran (Etixx-QuickStep) 43rd at 33 seconds and Mikel Landa (Sky) 67th at 40 seconds.
Dumoulin's victory is a significant one for Giant-Alpecin, as it's the squad first WorldTour win of the season after the team suffered in the wake of a car hitting a number of its riders during a training ride in Spain in January.
Giro d'Italia 2016 result
Stage one: Apeldoorn to Apeldoorn (Netherlands), 9.8km
1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin in 11-03
2. Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo at same time
3. Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar at 6 secs
4. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Giant-Alpecin at 8 secs
5. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Etixx-QuickStep at 11 secs
6. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale at 12 secs
7. Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx-QuickStep at 13 secs
8. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo at 14 secs
9. Matthias Brändle (Aut) IAM Cycling at same time
10. Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing at 16 secs
General classification after stage one
1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin in 11-03
2. Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo at same time
3. Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar at 6 secs
4. Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Giant-Alpecin at 8 secs
5. Marcel Kittel (Ger) Etixx-QuickStep at 11 secs
6. Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale at 12 secs
7. Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx-QuickStep at 13 secs
8. Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo at 14 secs
9. Matthias Brändle (Aut) IAM Cycling at same time
10. Silvan Dillier (Swi) BMC Racing at 16 secs
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