The Flemish rider was Belgian time trial champion on his back and flew over the debates on the 19.6 km straight course on a cycle path wedged between an abandoned railway track and the beaches of the Adriatic.

Very aerodynamic on his bike, the world champion, 23 years old, exploded all the times of passage before establishing his supremacy in the small final bump.

At the finish, the damage was considerable: Italian Filippo Ganna, who had won his five times in the Giro until then, finished second at 22 seconds and the valiant Portuguese Joao Almeida third at 29 seconds.

Above all, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic, Evenepoel's great rival on paper for the final victory, is already 43 seconds behind the Belgian prodigy who, under the sun of Abruzzo, sent a message to all the competition.

"I'm super happy. This is the best result we could have hoped for. I was in a good rhythm keeping the same gear and the same pace," he said before wearing the pink jersey for the first time in his career, two years after giving up his first Giro.

"The boss"

"Remco showed who the boss was. We know that it is very aerodynamic, in addition it has a very big engine and it was a course that suited him," said Swiss Stefan Küng, fifth in the same time as Roglic.

Primoz Roglic towards Ortona, Italy, May 6, 2023 © Luca Bettini / AFP

Before the start, Evenepoel had announced that, against Roglic, he intended to make the difference thanks to the time trial, an exercise in which he excels, he who finished on the podium of the eight times he has contested since 2019.

After his demonstration on Saturday, he can look forward to the rest of the program with optimism. Especially since two other times are on the program, Sunday, May 14 and during the penultimate stage, on the 27th, on the eve of the finish in Rome.

And because he confirmed his ascendancy over Roglic after having already dominated him by 48 seconds over 30km at the last Vuelta in September.

But the Belgian remains cautious, aware that the road was still very long, including a brutal third week, full of arrivals at altitude.

"I don't look too much at the gaps, I stay focused on my performance. The first objective is fulfilled, now we have to stay focused and conserve maximum energy," he commented, while his team will now have the weight of having to control the race to defend the jersey.

Roglic 'remains optimistic'

"We said we should probably keep the pink jersey until the fourth stage," Evenepoel said. We will then see what we can do to let it go. But for now, I'm enjoying it. It's a great way to look back at the Giro."

Remco Evenepoel in Ortona, Italy, May 6, 2023 © Luca Bettini / AFP

As for Primoz Roglic, very relaxed at the finish, he was not at all dejected, despite the already serious disbursements and the forced replacement in recent days of four teammates positive for Covid-19 or victims of accidents.

"No, no, it's okay. It was really hard but I'm pretty happy with my day. I remain optimistic for the next few days. Do not forget that there are still twenty stages to run, "he launched to the press, small wink in support.

On Sunday, the Giro starts again in the other direction, towards the south, still along the Adriatic coast, for a second stage that will take the peloton from Teramo to San Salvo (201 km) and which is promised to the sprinters.

© 2023 AFP