Former world champion Mads Pedersen narrowly beat Wout van Aert in a sprint finish to win the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia on Friday and claim the first pink jersey of this year's race, which started in Albania for the first time.
Pedersen, who won the world title in 2019, edged Van Aert by half a wheel in the hilly 160-kilometer (99-mile) stage from Durres to Tirana, which had a flat finish.