Friday 6 May 2016 21:45, UK
The Netherlands' Tom Dumoulin took the overall lead of the Giro d’Italia by winning stage one’s individual time trial by just 0.02 seconds.
The Giant-Alpecin rider stopped the clock on a flat 9.8km course in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn in 11min 3sec, fractionally ahead of runner-up Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) and six seconds faster than third-placed Andrey Amador (Movistar).
Dumoulin will now wear the race leader's pink jersey on Saturday's flat second stage from Arnhem to Nijmegen in the Netherlands, where the first three stages of this year's race are being held.
"I'm a very lucky man today," Dumoulin said. "I realise how narrowly I have won by.
"I'm feeling sick in my stomach, but at the same time so happy I did it. Luck was on my side today. In the Netherlands it is very, very special.
"I didn't do my best TT, but also definitely not my worst. I didn't really do a mistake. I would have liked it to be a little bit faster, but at the end, the result is what counts and I did it."
As well as the pink jersey, Dumoulin's win also gives him an early advantage over his rivals for overall victory in Turin in three weeks' time.
He gained 19 seconds on race favourite Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), 24 seconds on Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), 33 seconds on Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale) and 40 seconds on Mikel Landa (Team Sky).
Nibali said: "It was a very explosive time trial and I had to make a really difficult effort. I can be more than satisfied with how things have gone."
Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) had been expected to be Dumoulin's closest challenger for victory on the stage but could only finish 14 seconds down in eighth as he continues to struggle with illness.
Stefan Kung (BMC Racing), meanwhile, had been one of the fastest riders at the intermediate time check but then crashed and eventually finished 30 seconds down.
Stage one result and general classification
1 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Giant-Alpecin, 11:03
2 Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo, same time
3 Andrey Amador (Cos) Movistar, +6sec
4 Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) Giant-Alpecin, +8
5 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Etixx - Quick-Step, +11
6 Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale, +12
7 Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx - Quick-Step, +13
8 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek-Segafredo, +14
9 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling, st
10 Silvan Dillier (Sui) BMC Racing, st
