Former world champion Mads Pedersen narrowly beat Wout van Aert in a sprint finish to win the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia and claim the first pink jersey of this year’s race, which started in Albania for the first time.

Former world champion Mads Pedersen won the opening stage of the 108th Giro d'Italia in Albania on Friday. After 160 kilometres from Durrës to the capital Tirana, the Dane prevailed in a mass sprint from Belgian Wout van Aert.

Danish rider Mads Pedersen won the first stage of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint finish to take the race’s first Maglia Rosa. The former world champion powered through a small group of favourites in Tirana after his Lidl-Trek team rode aggressively to significantly reduce the peloton. This pink jersey is the first time Pedersen has led a Grand Tour.