Mads Pedersen's strategic maneuver successfully propels him past Wout van Aert, securing first place and the pink jersey in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia.

Revised Output

Mads Pedersen sprinted like a boss to snatch victory in the first stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, donning that coveted pink jersey along the way. The Dane left Wout van Aert in his dust, crossing the finish line first in Tirana.

Everything clicked for Pedersen, thanks to his team's expert maneuvering on the final climbs and into the crucial final corner. Van Aert had to settle for second place, but hey - better than nothing, right? Orluis Aular rounded out the top three for Movistar.

The stage was a wild one, with pure sprinters dropping like flies and multiple general classification hopefuls losing valuable time on this chaotic opening day. Yet Pedersen managed to steal the show, even with the competition breathing down his neck. With such a fast finale, the top 10 was a fascinating mix of punchy riders and GC contenders.

Lidl-Trek set the pace for the peloton twice on the climb of Surrel, pushing hard and forcing several key riders like Kaden Groves, Sam Bennett, and Olav Kooij to drop out of contention.

Derek Gee and Thymen Arensman, both GC hopefuls, also found themselves struggling to keep up, ultimately losing over a minute on general classification.

"This is my favorite stage now," Pedersen declared to the cameras following his win. "To win the stage and go in the pink jersey is absolutely amazing, especially after teamwork like this. It's incredible that the team worked that hard, and I can pay them back with a win."

Pedersen explained the strategy to reporters afterward. "That was the exact plan—push really hard on the climbs, make it a small group, and then a sprint at the end."

Don't underestimate Van Aert, though. "He's a really, really good bike rider," Pedersen warned. "It's not a given to win when he's in the group. You have to handle that with respect and a bit of fear as well. Today, I had the legs to finish it off for the team."

Van Aert was philosophical following his second-place finish. "I went for the pink jersey because there aren't many opportunities to take it. On the last climb, I suffered so much just to hang on. It was a pity to finish in second place, but it's better than I expected."

Get exclusive content, interviews, features, reviews, and expert buying guides straight to your inbox!

How it Went Down

The 108th Giro d'Italia began in Durrës, marking the race's first visit to Albania. Despite three classified climbs, the stage was expected to end in a sprint. Olav Kooij, Sam Bennett, and Kaden Groves were among the favorites, but Pedersen proved they were no match for him.

An early break formed within the first 5 kilometers, with a quintet of riders escaping across the Albanian countryside. These riders—Sylvain Moniquet, Taco van der Hoorn, Alessandro Tonelli, Manuele Tarozzi, and Alessandro Verre—managed to keep the peloton at bay for much of the day, with the gap hovering under two minutes.

The first intermediate sprint of the day was won by Tonelli, followed by Van der Hoorn, Tarozzi, Moniquet, and Verre. At the second sprint, Tarozzi emerged victorious, with Moniquet, Verre, Tonelli, and Van der Hoorn following close behind.

As the race entered the final 91 kilometers, overall favorite Juan Ayuso was caught up in an innocuous crash, requiring a bike change. However, both Ayuso and Max Poole were soon back in the game.

The first classified climb of Gracen was taken by Moniquet, with Tonelli, Tarozzi, Van der Hoorn, and Lorenzo Fortunato collecting points as well. The break was caught by the peloton as the race entered the final 40 kilometers, with the pace high on the climb of Surrel.

The race's GC contenders, including Pedersen and Van Aert, were at the front as the peloton approached the climb. Thymen Arensman slipped off the pace, but managed to recover before the end of the stage.

On the descent, a crash involving Mikel Landa and Jay Vine took place, but both riders were able to continue. At the front, Nicola Conci attempted an attack, but it did little to shake up the race as the lead group pressed on towards the finish line.

Entering the final corner, it was Pedersen vs. Van Aert, with Pedersen opening up the sprint first. Van Aert was unable to close the gap, securing Pedersen a well-deserved win on the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia.

Giro d'Italia 2025 stage one: Durrës > Tirana (160km)

Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, in 3:26:24
Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike
Orluis Aular (Ven) Movistar
Francesco Busatto (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty
Tom Pidcock (GBr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Diego Ulissi (Ita) XDS Astana
Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost
Max Poole (GBr) Picnic PostNL
Nicola Conci (Ita) XDS Astana
Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta, all at the same time.

General classification after stage one

Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek, in 3:26:24
Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike, +4s
Orluis Aular (Ven) Movistar, +6s
Francesco Busatto (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty, +10s
Tom Pidcock (GBr) Q36.5 Pro Cycling
Diego Ulissi (Ita) XDS Astana
Richard Carapaz (Ecu) EF Education-EasyPost
Max Poole (GBr) Picnic PostNL
Nicola Conci (Ita) XDS Astana
Davide Piganzoli (Ita) Polti VisitMalta, all at the same time.

Sports fans, get ready to cheer because Mads Pedersen's triumphant sprint in the first stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia sets the stage for an exciting competition ahead. With teamwork and expert maneuvering, Pedersen secured his position as a top contender in this year's race.

Mads Pedersen's strategic maneuver successfully propels him past Wout van Aert, securing first place and the pink jersey in the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia.