'That was the exact plan' - Mads Pedersen out-sprints Wout van Aert to take victory and pink jersey on stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia

Lidl-Trek rider took advantage of his team's control over the final climbs of the day to seize race lead

Mads Pedersen celebrates winning stage one of the Giro d'Italia
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mads Pedersen sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia in Tirana, taking the first pink jersey of the race in the process. The Dane pipped Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) on the line.

The Lidl-Trek rider had been put in the perfect position by his team on both the final climbs of the race and into the final corner, and managed to hold off Van Aert in the closing metres. Orluis Aular (Movistar) finished third.

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Adam Becket
News editor

Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling, he's happy. Before joining CW in 2021 he spent two years writing for Procycling. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds.

Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to riding bikes.

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