Ineos Grenadiers’ Narvaez beats Pogacar to win opening stage of Giro d’Italia

Ecuadorian rider clinches sprint with Team Emirates star finishing in third place

Team Ineos' Ecuadorian Jhonatan Narvaez celebrates on the podium his overall leader's pink jersey, after he won the stage 1 of the Giro d'Italia 2024 cycling race, 140 km between Venaria Reale and Turin on May 4, 2024. The 107th edition of the Giro d'Italia, with a total of 3400,8 km, departs from Veneria Reale near Turin on May 4, 2024 and will finish in Rome on May 26, 2024. (Photo by Luca Bettini / AFP)

Jhonatan Narvaez on the podium after his victory. AFP

Team Ineos rider Jhonatan Narvaez, centre, wins the race flanked by second-placed Maximilian Schachmann of Team Bora, right, and third-placed Tadej Pogacar of Team UAE Emirates. AFP

Jhonatan Narvaez beats Maximilian Schachmann and Tadej Pogacar, left, at the finish line. EPA

Winner Jhonatan Narvaez celebrates. AFP

Jhonatan Narvaez and second-placed Maximilian Schachmann, right. AFP

Ecuador’s Jhonatan Narvaez won a sprint finish to beat Tadej Pogacar and claim victory for Ineos Grenadiers on Stage One of the Giro d’Italia.

Team Bora's Maximilian Schachmann was second with UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar in third.

Starting at Venaria Reale, Saturday’s 136-kilometre stage featured a category- two climb on the Colle della Maddalena before ending in Turin.

There was an early breakaway of six riders, who opened up a two-and-a-half minute gap on the main peloton, which included the main general classification contenders.

Lilian Calmejane (Intermarche-Wanty) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Lidl-Trek) eventually went clear heading towards the Colle della Maddalena, as Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) took up the chase on the peloton.

Calmejane went for a solo push going into the final 10km but was eventually reeled in before Nicola Conci moved off the front.

Pogacar attacked from the head of the peloton on the Bivio di San Vito hill, with Narvaez and Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep) giving chase down towards the finish.

Schachmann made a long sprint for the line, but Narvaez and Pogacar responded before the Ecuador rider timed his move to perfection over the last 200m to take the first Maglia Rosa of the 2024 Giro.

Schachmann was three seconds behind, with Pogacar third. British rider Geraint Thomas placed 11th in the main peloton, which was 20 seconds back, as GC contenders Thymen Arensman (Ineos) and Romain Bardet (dsm-firmenich PostNL) lost significant time.

Stage Two is another hilly course over 161km from San Francesco al Campo to Santuario di Oropa.