Pedersen wins the first stage and Mikel Landa withdraws from the 2025 Giro d'Italia after suffering a serious crash

Dramatic end to the first stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia, after the serious fall suffered by Mikel Landa just 5 kilometers from the finish. A stage with a nervous outcome in which Lidl-Trek showed all its potential to hand victory to Mads Pedersen, who becomes the first maglia rosa of the race.

Lidl-Trek eliminates all sprinters in the first stage of the Giro d'Italia to give victory to Mads Pedersen

First stage of the 2025 Giro d'Italia and the race started intensely with a route of 160 kilometers between Durazzo and Tirana. A course with a flat first half and a second part where three ascents were chained, the last two being the same climb, within a final circuit around the Albanian capital.

The breakaway of the day was formed shortly after the start, surprisingly atypical for the first stages of a grand tour, and consisted of Alessandro Verre, Sylvain Moniquet, Taco van der Hoorn, Alessandro Tonelli, and Manuele Tarozzi. However, the control of Visma-Lease a Bike and Lidl-Trek did not allow them to dream of winning the stage.

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Nevertheless, they managed to pass first through the first climb of the day, Gracen, a gradual 13-kilometer ascent, where Manuele Tarozzi managed to reach the top of the climb, leading the breakaway with the possibility of wearing the blue jersey of the mountains in the next stage. He also took the honor of being the first to pass through the new Red Bull KM, earning some bonus seconds that were inconsequential for him.

The breakaway was caught shortly after entering the final circuit, and just after passing the finish line, the ascent to Surrel began, a 7-kilometer climb with the second kilometer being very demanding, with an average gradient above 9%.

Visma-Lease a Bike started the climb by accelerating the pace, but Lidl-Trek quickly caught up and, with an outstanding effort, completely disorganized the Dutch team, leaving only Wout van Aert among the top positions. The pace began to take its toll on the middle class of the peloton and most of the fast men who were dropping off like ripe fruit.

A fast descent towards the finish line, and on the second climb, Lidl-Trek increased its pace, positioning Mads Pedersen perfectly while Wout van Aert suffered and lost some positions, even having to push hard at the end of the climb to enter among the approximately 30 cyclists who crossed the line ahead after the peloton split.

Lidl-Trek continued to push hard on the descent towards Tirana, leading the group in a single file in a descent with some tricky curves. However, no one could have imagined that the situation would take on the dramatic tones that it would end up with.

A very fast left turn in the city streets, the group opened up and Mikel Landa collided with the curb and was thrown onto the sidewalk with the misfortune of hitting a lamppost and a small incline. The tremendous gestures of pain immediately indicated the news that would be confirmed minutes after the finish when we saw the Vitorian rider being taken away on a stretcher. The first casualty of the 2025 Giro d'Italia and a tragedy for the Landismo fans who saw their idol at the top of his game in this Giro d'Italia after showing a physique finer than ever.

LANDA ABBANDONA IL GIRO D'ITALIA

Dopo una brutta caduta nel finale, il ciclista spagnolo viene portato via in barella ed è costretto ad abbandonare il Giro d'Italia

Forza Mikel #EurosportCICLISMO #Cycling #GirodItalia #Giro #Landa pic.twitter.com/H6fOnYbD4E

— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) May 9, 2025

After this, the finish almost took a back seat, with Lidl-Trek perfectly dominating the situation and leaving Mads Pedersen in the ideal position to launch a sprint where Wout van Aert stuck to his wheel, coming out of the Danish rider's slipstream too late and lacking a few meters to make a comeback and secure the victory. A surprising Orluis Aular also joined the sprint, finishing in third place.

Good sensations from Tom Pidcock, who was seen at the front throughout the climb and managed to finish a pure sprint like this in a surprising fifth position, ensuring he starts among the last riders in tomorrow's time trial with the advantage of having reliable references.

Stage 1 Classification

1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 3h36'24''
2. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) same time
3. Orluis Aular (Movistar Team) same time
4. Francesco Busatto (Intermarché-Wanty) same time
5. Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5) same time
6. Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana) same time
7. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) same time
8. Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL) same time
9. Nicola Conci (XDS-Astana) same time
10. Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Visit Malta) same time

General Classification

1. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) 3h36'14''
2. Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) +04''
3. Orluis Aular (Movistar Team) +06''
4. Francesco Busatto (Intermarché-Wanty) +10''
5. Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5) same time
6. Diego Ulissi (XDS-Astana) same time
7. Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) same time
8. Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL) same time
9. Nicola Conci (XDS-Astana) same time
10. Davide Piganzoli (Polti-Visit Malta) same time