Manuele Tarozzi, rider of VF Group Bardiani-CSF Faizanè, was a key protagonist of the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia, thanks to a long breakaway from distance. Tarozzi joined the breakaway group alongside Alessandro Tonelli, Alessandro Verre, Sylvain Moniquet, and Taco Van Der Horn. The race heated up during the climb to Gracen, the first KOM of the day, where the Faenza native battled for the summit, ultimately taking fourth place.

Tarozzi also claimed the first Red Bull intermediate sprint of this Giro d’Italia. The breakaway group stayed at the front of the race until they were caught shortly after crossing the finish line in Tirana, at the start of the final circuit.

Filippo Fiorelli was less fortunate: in the hectic finale, 4 km from the finish, he narrowly avoided a crash involving Mikel Landa, but the incident slowed him down, preventing him from contesting the final sprint.

Tomorrow’s stage is the second of the race: a 13.7 km individual time trial on the streets of Tirana, which will shape the general classification.