Intro:

Orica-GreenEdge won the stage one team time trial at the Giro d'Italia in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday to put Canada's Svein Tuft into the leader's pink jersey, but Irishman Dan Martin's race appears to be over after a heavy crash.

Script:

The Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast in Northern Ireland was the scene for the opening stage of the Giro d'Italia team time trial on Friday.

Sporadic rain and a damp road made for tricky conditions.

But Orica-GreenEdge's Svein Tuft defied the conditions to celebrate his 37th birthday by being the first man over the line in an unbeaten time of 24min 42sec.

Ireland's Dan Martin went down after riding over a manhole cover on the wet surface. The Garmin-Sharp rider took out several of his team-mates and injured his right shoulder, meaning the 27-year-old is now likely to miss the rest of the Giro d'Italia.

There was no such agony for Rigoberto Uran of Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, who came second, while Cadel Evans' BMC Racing squad finished third.

Northern Ireland's favourite son George Best was renowned for his champagne lifestyle and the fizz was certainly flying for Orica in Beflast tonight.