Italy's Filippo Ganna of the Ineos Grenadiers team won Monday's Tirreno-Adriatico opening time-trial for the fourth time in his career.
The 27-year-old covered the 11.5km at Lido di Camaiore on the Tuscan Mediterranean coast in 12min 08sec. Dutchman Thymen Arensman was second at 22sec and Germany's Maximilian Walscheid third at 26sec.
Ganna was runner-up in last year's edition of the 'Race of the Two Seas' behind Spaniard Juan Ayuso who is not competing this year.
Slovenian Primoz Roglic, a two-time Tirreno-Adriatico winner, was seventh fastest.
The race finishes next Sunday at San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic coast.