Holland’s Tom Dumoulin seized the Giro d’Italia’s pink jersey with victory in the opening stage time-trial in front of a partisan crowd in Apeldoorn yesterday.

Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin) clocked 11 minutes 03 seconds to win by one hundredth of a second from Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo).

Germany’s Marcel Kittel (Etixx-QuickStep) was fifth, 11 seconds behind, while Fabian Cancellara (Trek-Segafredo) was eighth.

Swiss Cancellara was among the pre-stage favourites, alongside Dumoulin, but was 14 seconds adrift, as the Dutchman claimed the leader’s maglia rosa.

Dumoulin, who finished a disappointing fourth when the 2015 Tour de France began with a time-trial in Utrecht, said: “I’m a very lucky man today. I realise how narrowly I’ve won by.

“It was a lot of suffering, especially at the end of the course. I’m actually feeling sick with a stomach bug but I’m also so happy – I did it.

“I didn’t do my best time-trial today but also not my worst one. I would have liked to go a bit faster but only the result counts and winning here in the Netherlands is so special.”

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), the favourite to finish with the pink jersey in Turin, was 19 seconds behind, taking valuable seconds’ advantage over his rivals for overall glory on May 29.

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