He has abandoned the Giro of Italy in the first stage, evacuated in ambulance after suffering a strong drop 5 kilometers from the finish line. The Alavés left the road on a curve, lying on a sidewalk and transferred to a hospital. The initial stage of the Italian race, the first of three in the territory of Albania, left other cyclists on the ground, although none of the severity of the chief cyclist of the ranks of the Quick-Step Soudal. Among other injured, the Australian Jay Vine, one of the gregarious of Ayuso in the UAE also fell. The stage was taken by the Danish (Lidl Trek), in a confusing and rugged end, which had the honor of release the sweater Rosa of the 108th edition of the Italy Giro after imposing itself in the first stage played between Durës and Tirana, with a 160 km route, in which the Venezuelan Orluis Aular (Movistar) was classified third.
Pedersen takes the work award of his team. Bora put himself in the lead, more to protect Roglic than to fight for the stage. That was responsible for the Lidl, with the very clear strategy in advance. The candidate was Pedersen and the Danish did not disappoint. He was second in Flanders, third in the Roubaix, and his state is magnificent.
Many stayed in Surrel slopes, but the favorites were in front, attentive. The Roglic, Ayuso, go aert, Bernal, Carapaz and Pello Bilbao, among others, marked before the imminent arrival maneuvers. At the top the Italian Ciccone passed to the front. Zafarrancho to the last line. Lidl finished suffocating a large part of the platoon, a group of 45 units flewing at high speed, opening even differences.
Pedersen (Tollose, 29 years old), world champion in 2019 and recently winner of the Wevelgem Ghent, signed with victory and great Lidl work at the key points of the stage, especially in the climbs of the circuit in Tirana. In the finish line he had no rival and won with a time of 3h.36.24 ahead of the Belgian Wout van Aert (Visma) and the Venezuelan of the Movistar Orluis Aular. “It is a special victory, with the stage and pink, a way to return to the team all the work he has done. We wanted to select the group and that is what we have done. I have had legs to win Van Aert. It is the first leader’s jersey that I get in a race,” said Pedersen at the end.
First getaway and small incident of Ayuso
The 2025 turn, for the first time in Albania, left from the Venetian tower, in Durrës, the oldest city in the country, tourist and animated that divided the Adriatic Sea. The squad was encouraged from the exit flag with the first leak. A quintet went to the adventure with Van Der Hour, Tarozzi, Verre, Tonelli and Moniquet.
They immediately took action on the matter of the alpecin December of Kaden Groves and Vane’s Van, two of the main favorites to release the Rose Maglia. The squad did not want to take great differences with the leak.
Although under control, after exceeding the intermediate sprint of ElBassan the quintet exceeded the ascent to Gracen (2a, 12.9 km to 5.3), but with differences already close to the minute, in a clear descent. In the approach to the port, which forced him to change bicycle. A simple scare for Spanish.
