Right after the start in Barbaresco, Goszczurny and seven other riders embarked on an adventure. The 20-year-old, who usually rides with the Development Team, had his sights set on the mountain jersey in northwestern Italy. He went after it with determination, collecting the most points along the way. Tomorrow, he will start in the special jersey in the Coppi e Bartali, which was won by Ben Tulett last year.

The eight-rider breakaway was caught well before the finish. In the uphill streets of Barolo, the reduced peloton sprinted for the first stage win, which went to Frenchman Laurance. Anton Schiffer, who is aiming for a good general classification in the Italian five-day race, finished in the first group. Despite a crash, the same applied to Tijmen Graat. Along with the duo with GC ambitions, the Dutch team also brought four riders from their own Development Team to Italy.

“These guys are here to get a taste of professional racing. It’s all about development this week”, sports director Robert Wagner says. “Patryk showed himself really well today. It’s not easy to take the first mountain jersey, especially with the Italians also eyeing that in their home country. We definitely want to hold on to that jersey.”

“Sven Mernik did a great job bringing Tijmen back to the front group after his crash. We wanted to try to sprint with Elliot Rowe, but unfortunately, that didn’t work out. That’s not a shame, though, as it’s Elliot’s first time in the pro peloton. There will be plenty more chances for our team this week. Maybe even tomorrow, as there’s likely to be another sprint”, Wagner concludes.