ntermarché-Wanty has started its fifth Giro d’Italia at full speed thanks to Francesco Busatto, who finished fourth in the opening stage in Albanian territory and is the first white jersey wearer of this edition.
Starting his national Tour, which is also his very first Grand Tour, the young 22-year-old Italian stayed determinedly at the front of the peloton, surviving the sustained pace set on the two ascents of Surrel, the main difficulty of the finale, to contest the sprint for victory.
His teammate Taco van der Hoorn, returning to the Giro for the first time since the 2021 edition, had joined the first breakaway of this Tour of Italy. However, this breakaway never gained a significant advantage, as the peloton was determined to have a mass sprint to decide the first pink jersey wearer.
At the end of the 160 kilometers of racing between Durrës and Tirana, Francesco Busatto arrived just off the podium, only beaten by Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, and Orluis Aular. He takes possession of the white jersey for the best young rider, a first for Intermarché-Wanty since Biniam Girmay in the 2022 edition.
“I knew I was well prepared for my Giro debut, as I built a solid base in the altitude camp with the team. But this performance in my debut at this highest level of the sport is beyond what I imagined. It is really special. My teammates showed their belief in me by helping me all day. I reached the top of the last climb in the slipstream of Van Aert and as I knew he would be up there in the sprint, I focused on locking on his wheel as long as possible. I managed to do that until the last corner before giving it everything. To finish fourth in my debut, it’s just fantastic! Pulling on the best young rider’s jersey is an incredible feeling. It will be a real challenge to defend it in the time trial tomorrow as it’s not my forte. But you never know, maybe I can surprise myself with a good performance like I did today. I'll leave everything out on the road.”
A childhood dream comes true: Francesco Busatto wears the white jersey in the time trial of the Giro d’Italia.
