(Biella) It only took two days for Tadej Pogacar, on his debut at the Giro, to leave his mark during the Italian grand tour.
The Slovenian star achieved this despite a flat wheel and a fall 11 kilometers from the finish, during a delicate second stage.
Pogacar quickly returned to the peloton then attacked alone four kilometers from the end to win on the climb to the Santuario di Oropa, thus obtaining the leader’s pink jersey.
Pogacar raised his arms and shouted with joy at the finish, finishing 27 seconds ahead of Daniel Martínez and Geraint Thomas.
The hilly 161km route started in San Francesco al Campo and featured three notable climbs.
The UAE Emirates team cyclist took the lead from Jhonatan Narvaez, surprise winner at his expense on Saturday, at the end of the first stage.
Pogacar was 45 seconds ahead of Martinez and Thomas, who finished second at last year’s Giro.
Pogacar triumphed at the Tour de France in 2020 and 2021.
The sprinters will have the chance to shine on Monday, during the third stage. It will be a largely flat 166km journey, from Novara to Fossano.
The Giro will end in Rome on May 26.