Giro d'Italia: Mads Pedersen takes first pink jersey in Tirana

Waiting for today's time trial, to color the Line of Business it is already the opening stage in Albania: the big names from the classics are all up there. More than the others, the Dane Mads pedersen, who at 29 years old fulfilled a dream: to wear the leader's jersey in a major stage race. The pink one for the former world champion, member of the prestigious club of those who have also won the Tour and the Vuelta, is also historic, because it is the first for his country, as well as significant: it comes on the day in which we remember the tragic death on our roads of Wouter Weylandt, Belgian boy who ran in his team.

A Tirana, Pedersen makes the poor guy swallow yet another second place Van Aert, world record holder for placings, and also keeps at bay the other contender for the top spot, the lively pidcock. Above all, the Dane completes the work of his teammates in a great way, who in the two laps around the Albanian capital with an accompanying climb keep up a hellish pace, exhausting sprinters and others: confirming that in the Cycling one wins, but the success is a team one. Two in particular are worthy of applause: ciccone, who climbs with an ease that will come in handy even when he moves in first person, and Vacek, a perfect trailblazer in sight of the finish line, where with his exultation he risks a penalty, because from this year it is not possible.

"The plan was to ride like a classic and we executed it to perfection. Ciccone and Vacek did an extraordinary job, I'm happy to have repaid them. This jersey is also special because I've never led a Grand Tour", says Pedersen, who showed up at the start from Albania with the clear intention of winning this stage and those similar to it.

Pedersen smiles, while some are already crying: five and a half kilometers from the finish line, he flies away downhill Mikel Landa, ending up against a lamppost and, consequently, his run. Leaving the Line of Business with a stable fracture of the eleventh lumbar vertebra, which will force him to bed for a long period, the Basque veteran who started with solid ambitions in the rankings earns the label of the first big name to retire: it is the third time in eight participations, the second due to an accident, in a race where he also has two third places.

It's not a day for the Spain: the young gentleman also goes to earth Ayuso, shortly after halfway through the stage. It's a slip without consequences, enough to confirm what the other favorite says Roglic before the start: "The first goal in stages like this is to stay out of trouble", the words suggested by experience to the Slovenian, always well protected by our Pellizzari e Aleotti on an afternoon with strong Italian hues, with the child Busatto at the foot of the podium and the first long breakaway signed by Glass, Tarozzi e Tonelli with two foreigners.

Di Roglic and his main challenger Ayuso we will start talking about it today, in the 14km time trial that will cross Tirana, climbing halfway up a steep section. An ideal stage for the Slovenian, who at the Line of Business his four victories were all against the clock: doing better than his rivals would be a good sign but nothing more, because the history of this edition will be made on other days. This is valid for him but also for Ayuso e Tiberi, while for Van Aert It's another chance to beat the curse that has accompanied her for too long.