Giro d'Italia: Pedersen Edges Van Aert in Thrilling Giro d'Italia Stage 1 Sprint

Mads Pedersen wins the Giro d'Italia Stage 1 in a thrilling sprint finish, edging out Wout van Aert by a hair's breadth to claim the Maglia Rosa.

Mads Pedersen claimed the first stage win at the Giro d'Italia, edging out Wout van Aert in a thrilling sprint finish. The Lidl Trek sprinter benefited from a well-executed team effort, paving the way for his victory in the 160-kilometer stage from Durres to Tirana.

Pedersen's teammates played a crucial role, setting him up perfectly for the final sprint. Mathias Vacek led Pedersen out with 300 meters to go, allowing the Dane to sprint to victory and claim the Maglia Rosa. Pedersen beat Van Aert by a hair's breadth, winning by half a wheel.

Mads Pedersen's victory marked a historic moment as he became the first Dane to claim the Maglia Rosa, the pink leader's jersey of the Giro d'Italia. This win also adds to his impressive resume, having won stages in all three Grand Tours.

Mathias Vacek played a pivotal role in Pedersen's success, delivering a strong lead-out. Vacek said, “We were already trying to do a hard pace to get rid of the sprinters. In the end, I had really good legs, and I could do a really good leadout for Mads, and it was crazy. It's a big achievement, and I am so proud that he could take the pink jersey today.”

Orluis Aular from Movistar finished third on the stage, followed by Francesco Busatto from Intermarche Wanty in fourth, and Tom Pidcock from Q36.5.

The 2025 Giro d'Italia began in Albania with a hilly stage from Durres to Tirana. Early in the race, a breakaway group of five riders formed, but their lead was kept in check by teams like Lidl Trek, Visma Lease-a-Bike, and Alpecin-Deceuninck, who worked together to limit the gap to around two minutes.

The riders faced a challenging 13-kilometer Category 2 climb midway through the stage, with Sylvain Moniquet claiming the summit first to take the initial King of the Mountains jersey.

The action intensified as the peloton entered Tirana, where Lidl Trek set a blistering pace on both ascents of Surrel. Mads Pedersen remained in the top five throughout the climb, directing his teammates to control the pace. A pivotal moment came when climber Giulio Ciccone took his turn at the front, setting the stage for the final sprint.

Giulio Ciccone's strong two-kilometer pull near the top of the climb thinned the leading group, causing riders like Derek Gee to lose ground and reducing the group to around 30 contenders. The intense pace eliminated top sprinters like Kaden Groves and Olav Kooij, setting up a final showdown between Pedersen and a fatigued Wout van Aert.

Tragedy struck on the descent to the finish line when Mikel Landa crashed into an unguarded pole at high speed. The veteran Spaniard was stretchered off and taken away in an ambulance, ending his Giro campaign on the very first day.

Despite the drama, Mads Pedersen focused on celebrating his stage win and donning the pink jersey. Pedersen praised his team's exceptional work, saying: “The team was absolutely amazing, it's pure class from my teammates and it's great to pay them back and win the pink jersey.”

Mads Pedersen takes the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia and pulls on the Maglia Rosa 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Hpt3iDeKpS

— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) May 9, 2025

The second stage of the Giro d'Italia 2025 is a 13.7km individual time trial set to take place in the streets of Tirana, Albania. Wout van Aert has a great opportunity to take the overall lead from current leader Mads Pedersen. However, Pedersen may defend his lead well, given Van Aert's recent struggles with form.

Stage Details:

• Distance: 13.7km individual time trial
• Location: Tirana, Albania
• Course: Flat roads with sharp corners and a short climb
• Start Time: 13:55 CEST (Niklas Märkl starts at 13:25 CEST, while Mads Pedersen starts last at 16:56 CEST)

Contenders:

• Wout van Aert: Strong time trialist, but his form hasn't been ideal lately
• Mads Pedersen: Current leader, might struggle to keep up with riders like Primoz Roglic and Juan Ayuso
• Primoz Roglic: GC favorite and strong time trialist, looking to gain time on competitors
• Juan Ayuso: Another GC contender with impressive time trial skills
• Joshua Tarling: Top contender for stage win, despite losing time on the first stage
• Edoardo Affini: Reigning European Champion in the discipline, a potential winner