Finn Fisher Black put in a mighty show of strength to seize victory on stage 1 of the Giro di Sicilia.
The Kiwi set an infernal pace on the uphill climb to the finish from Marsala to Agrigento (159km), taking the front at 2km to go and riding away from the depleted bunch behind.
The UAE team was initially working for Diego Ulissi on the stage, though a clever move from the Italian allowed Fisher-Black to slip away and forced the rivals to chase. Fisher-Black quickly opened a gap which was never bridged and sailed away to claim his first ever professional victory.
“My job was to pull into the bottom of the climb but I looked back at one point and no one was there and the DS on the radio just told me to go as hard as I could”, said Finn Fisher Black. “I didn’t believe I could win until I saw the line. It’s a really important win for me. I broke my leg last year and coming back has been the hardest thing I’ve done, but this moment makes it all worth it.”
