Mads PEDERSEN. 10 and praise. What he says, he does, and he does a lot. In the sense that he's not here as a tourist after an absolutely top-level spring. He's not here to spend his last remaining energy. He's here to honor the "pink race", to show what he's made of, even though we all already know. He makes a head-on sprint because that's what he had in mind. Sure, the good sprinter's manual says it's better to protect one side, never choose the central path. He chooses it because he's strong. Damn strong, and when he starts, it's hard to catch him. In return, he takes back the pink jersey. And right now, it's the most beautiful pink.

Corbin STRONG. 8. The 25-year-old New Zealander tries to respond to Mads Pedersen's deadly progression, and the fact that he tries is a great merit. The fact that he even came alongside him, losing is clearly not a disgrace: it's just a good reason to try again.

Orluis AULAR. 7. The 28-year-old Venezuelan from Movistar throws himself back into the mix and takes another third place to his hotel. He dances in the group, choosing wheels and slipstreams. He knows how to imagine lines and can also draw them, but in front of him, for now, there's still too much traffic.

Brandon RIVERA. 7. The 29-year-old Colombian from Ineos makes me think of Gianni Savio, who would have been happy to see this guy up front. Brandon throws himself in. And he does it at his best.

Edoardo ZAMBANINI. 6.5. He's the first of the "tricolor arrows". The 24-year-old from Bahrain Victorious throws himself into the fray but gets sucked in by the pack of predators behind him. He brings home a top-ten placement, which boosts morale.

Filippo FIORELLI. 6.5. He could have been helped by Marcellusi, who is disqualified by the jury for unsportsmanlike conduct, but it's better that he does it on his own: away from dangers, not too far from the leaders.

Christian SCARONI. 6.5. He's a fighter and he fights: always.

Davide DE PRETTO. 6.5. He's one of the guys from our young Italy that I'm waiting for the most. He's 23, he has the makings of a rider, the head of someone who can become something and someone. This Giro will tell us a lot about him.

Mathias VACEK. 8. He leads out the sprint for Mads Pedersen and for the Dane, there's only refining what's already beautiful.

Giulio CICCONE. 8. He runs carefree, thinking of doing well, doing what he likes. Cicco pilots Pedersen from 2 km to 600 meters, does an excellent job, with the simplicity of someone in a state of grace who knows he can do certain things.

Primoz ROGLIC. 8. Says before the start: "Wearing the pink jersey is always a pleasure and an honor. Today the team's goal is not to win the stage, but we will certainly pay attention to what happens". What happens is that he loses the jersey, but it goes on the shoulders of the right person, with the right team: old fox, Primoz...

Juan AYUSO. 6. During the transfer section, first a puncture and then he has to change the radio: in short, for the Catalan, the Giro is not going very well. I'll rely on Marcello Marchesi's humor: "God, give me a check of your presence!"

Lorenzo FORTUNATO. 7. Stage on the attack, which earns him the blue jersey of the climbers' classification. For the 29-year-old rider from XDS Astana Team, it's more than a good start.

Lorenzo GERMANI. 6.5. The Groupama – FDJ guy animates the last Albanian day by attacking with pink jersey Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers), Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) and Chris Hamilton (Team Picnic PostNL). Dries De Bondt (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) and Alessandro Tonelli (Team Polti VisitMalta). Stage on the attack, before the break.