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Novara (AP) - With a damper for the German podium hope Emanuel Buchmann and the first sprint victory of the Belgian Tim Merlier, the 104th Giro d'Italia has gone on its three-week journey.
After the first 187.6 of a total of 3479.9 kilometers to the finish in Milan, Buchmann is already falling behind, after almost a minute behind the Italian world champion and overall first Filippo Ganna in the opening time trial, but also a few seconds behind the biggest rivals in the overall standings had lost.
"I think you couldn't necessarily lose the Giro today, and there are many more difficult stages," said Buchmann after the modest start.
However, the expectations of the Bora-hansgrohe team were different.
"To be honest, we hoped for a little more from Emanuel, but he has just come from the high altitude training camp, so it's always a bit difficult," said Sport Director Jens Zemke.
On Sunday, the climbing specialist reached the goal in the main field.
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The day's victory was a matter for the sprinters after 179 kilometers from Stupinigi to Novara.
Merlier won ahead of the two Italians Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani.
The Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen, who made his comeback after a nine-month ban at the Giro, did not play the main role as fourth. Groenewegen pushed his compatriot Fabio Jakobsen into a barrier on August 5th last year on the first stage of the Tour of Poland in a downhill sprint to the finish in Katowice at more than 80 kilometers per hour. Jakobsen was in an artificial coma and had to be operated on several times.
The pink jersey of the overall first is a clear matter for Ganna on the first few days, as in the previous year.
The Italian was in a class of his own in his special discipline at the time trial opener in Turin and won well ahead of his compatriot Edoardo Affini.
The young Belgian Remco Evenepoel, who was only 19 seconds behind, was particularly convincing of the greatest contenders for overall victory.
The performance was all the more remarkable, especially since the 21-year-old had driven a race for the first time since his pelvis fracture almost nine months ago.
“It was very emotional on the launch pad.
I had tears in my eyes », reported Evenepoel, who also got two bonus seconds on Sunday.
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Former Vuelta winner Simon Yates (Great Britain / 0: 38), former Tour Champion Egan Bernal (Colombia / 0: 39) and veteran Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / 0: 41) were all slower in the time trial, but still faster as Buchmann (0:55).
The Ravensburger, who finished fourth overall in the Tour de France in 2019, wants to be the first German to get on the podium at the Tour of Italy.
The profile suits the climbing specialist.
More than 47,000 vertical meters have to be mastered in the next three weeks.
"This Giro will probably be decided in the third week, when there are several brutal stages," said Zemke.
On Monday the sprinters could come back to the train.
One mountain of the third and two climbs of the fourth category should be feasible for the fast men on the third section over 190 kilometers from Biella to Canale.
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