Greig Leach

The first road stage of the 101st Giro d'Italia featured the required early break. Today it was three riders who got off the front, but it seemed that the sprinters were in no mood to let them get to far up the road. After the time trial riders were very close together on the General Classification so the time bonuses at the intermediate sprints could well effect who would take over the Maglia Rosa from Tome Dumoulin (Team Sunweb). Lars Bak (Lotto Soudal - although they race as Lotto Fix-all at the Giro) peers over his shoulder trying to catch a glimpse of the closing peloton. All three were hoping to stay away to the top of the only catagorized climb (the King of the Mountain jersey would belong to whomever gets to the top first). Leading the trio is Guillaume Boivin (Israel Cycling Academy) followed by Davide Ballerini (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermac). Alas, none of these claimed the Maglia Azzure of the KOM competition. So it goes.