Former world champion Mads Pedersen won the opening stage of the 108th Giro d'Italia in Albania on Friday. After 160 kilometres from Durrës to the capital Tirana, the Dane prevailed in a mass sprint from Belgian Wout van Aert.

Former world champion Mads Pedersen narrowly beat Wout van Aert in a sprint finish to win the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia and claim the first pink jersey of this year’s race, which started in Albania for the first time.

It’s time to say buongiorno, or rather përshëndetje, to the first men’s Grand Tour of the year. If that second word doesn’t look familiar to you, it means ‘hello’ in Albanian, the language of the country hosting this May's Giro d’Italia Grande Partenza.