Alpecin-Fenix rider Mathieu van der Poel took the pink jersey on day one of the 2022 Giro d'Italia after a pulsating finale in the first stage in Hungary.
The Dutchman crossed the line with four hours, 35 minutes and 28 seconds on the clock in the 105th Giro d'Italia to make the perfect start to his debut in the Grand Tour race.
Eritrea's Biniam Girmay was close to making history for Intermarche - Wanty - Gobert Materiaux as the first black African rider to win a Grand Tour stage, but the 22-year-old had to settle for second in the 195km stage.
However, Girmay still secured the Young Rider's white jersey after just being pipped to the post by Van der Poel, while Pello Bilbao of Bahrain-Victorious came in third.
Drone Hopper Androni Giocattoli duo Filippo Tagliani and Mattia Bais made a lightning quick charge to break away from the peloton in the opening stages in Budapest - at one point holding a 10-minute lead over the chasing pack.
The first intermediate sprint went the way of Tagliani with Bais in second and Giacomo Nizzolo in third, while Great Britain's Mark Cavendish opted for a bike change to raise questions over a possible sprint finish.
🤯 What a finish
— Eurosport (@eurosport) May 6, 2022
A chaotic end to Stage 1 of Giro D'Italia 🚴♂️
Another fine display from Mathieu Van Der Poel 🇳🇱
👏 What a season he is having so far #Giro | @giroditalia pic.twitter.com/kjmBT0FOA0
Talgiani and Bais's lead was cut down to three minutes in the later stages before the latter took the second sprint, and the final uphill sprint was marred by a series of crashes.
Home favourite Erik Fetter (EOLO-Kometa) was involved in a three-way collision with Jan Tratnik and Harm Vanhoucke, as Germany's Lennard Kamna opened up a seven-second lead approaching the final kilometre.
The BORA-Hansgrohe rider could not keep up the pace and eventually fell back, allowing Van der Poel and Lotto Soudal's Caleb Ewan to storm to the front, but the Australian crashed out with a matter of metres remaining after a wheel touch.
Ewan looked in pain and devastated at the end as Van der Poel made a winning start in Visegard, where Ineos Grenadiers rider Richard Carapaz settled for sixth.
Cavendish ultimately decided against a sprint finish ahead of day two on Saturday, which sees competitors take part in a 9.2 km (5.7 mi) individual time trial around Budapest.
Ben Knapton
