Denmark's former world champion Mads Pedersen edged out Wout van Aert in a bunch sprint to win the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia in Tirana on Friday.
The Giro's first venture to Albania did not disappoint as the 160-km trek from Durres launched the year's first Grand Tour in style.
Pedersen's Lidl-Trek team-mates set a fearsome pace on the steep Surrel climb that punctuated two 22km circuits of Tirana with the sprinters, including Ireland's Sam Bennett, all being discarded before the finale.
It left Pedersen in prime position in the final kilometre and he held off a charging Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) to add another notch to his already impressive resume.
"To win the stage and go into the pink jersey is absolutely amazing, especially after teamwork like this," Pedersen, who won the world road title in England in 2019, said.
"You always have to be afraid of Wout, he's a really good bike rider. It's not a given to win when he's in the group, and you have to handle that with respect and a bit of fear as well. But today I had the legs to finish it off for the team."
Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) missed out on the top 10 with the former Tour de France green jersey winner among those dropped off the back of the peloton.
The Carrick-on-Suir native crossed the line 12.23 minutes down in 154th.
Meanwhile, Pedersen will begin Saturday's 13km time trial wearing the leader's jersey for the first time in a Grand Tour.
Van Aert was left frustrated that he could not mark his Giro d'Italia debut by winning the first stage.
"There are only a few opportunities to take the pink jersey. So that's why I really wanted to try - on the last climb, I suffered so much to just hang on," Van Aert said.
"So it's a pity to finish second, but it's still better than expected."
The opening day was not without drama as the fancied Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) crashed early on a roundabout but was unhurt and finished safely in the pack alongside race favourite Primoz Roglic (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe).
There was far worse news for another contender for the overall victory though as Ayuso's fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa went down heavily with 5km remaining and was taken away on a stretcher with his hopes over.
Two other riders expected to challenge for the maglia rosa - Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) and Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) - lost time on a punishing day.
Sylvain Moniquet (Cofidis), who was part of an escape group for much of the day, leads the early climber's category.
