Pedersen Wins Giro d’Italia Stage 1 in Albania

Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek won the opening stage of the 2025 Giro d’Italia in Tirana, Albania, out-sprinting Wout van Aert to claim the first Maglia Rosa. Pedersen’s team set a fast pace that dropped several general classification hopefuls, including Derek Gee and Thymen Arensman. A late crash involving Mikel Landa, a key GC contender, forced him to abandon the race due to injury. This edition of the Giro d'Italia is the first to start in Albania, with the next two stages also in the country before returning to Italy. Saturday’s 13.7km time trial in Tirana is expected to be crucial for overall contenders. The mountainous stage to Sestriere in the final week is anticipated to play a decisive role in the general classification.