Steven Kruijswijk lost 13 seconds in the first stage of the Giro d'Italia. Team LottoNL-Jumbo’s leader was behind when a gap opened and placed 71st. German Lukas Pöstelberger won the opening stage to Olbia. The only Italian of Team LottoNL-Jumbo, Enrico Battaglin, placed 13th.

"It sucks that I lost time on the first day," said Kruijswijk after the first stage in the 100th Giro d’Italia. "It was actually an easy day, but right then the final is very hectic."

After the early break was caught, it went wrong. With another three and a half kilometres to go, there was a sharp turn to the right. "The peloton completely stopped. I was right behind it, but together with Jos van Emden I was able to come back again. In the last kilometre again, there were some gaps in the peloton and I was behind them."

"Of course, we are doing our best to prevent this kind of time loss," added the Sports Director Addy Engels. "It is very unfortunate. That corner was there, we knew that. That the peloton comes to a halt and we sat behind. That doesn’t happen often.

“I can imagine that his crash in Yorkshire is still in his head. That was also in a bunch sprint, and you may need to get over it."

"I'm recovered and my ribs are doing well,” Kruijswijk said. “The mental is different, you obviously take less risks because of a crash a bunch sprint a week earlier."