Intro:

Adriano Malori won stage one of the 2015 UCI World Tour's Tirreno Adriatico on Wednesday.

Script:

Italian rider Adriano Malori of team Movistar leads the 2015 Tirreno Adriatico after winning the opening time trial on Wednesday.

Having won individual tests in Vuelta Espana, Tour de San Luis and the 2014 Tirreno Adriatico, Malori completed the 5.4-kilometre route in six minutes and four seconds claiming the race's first blue leader's jersey.

The 27-year-old, and current reigning Italian national time trial champion, rode at an average speed of 53.4kph to come home with the victory.

Belgium's Greg Van Avermaet of BMC Racing put up a good challenge but finished two seconds behind Malori.

Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara of Trek Factory Racing - and time trial veteran - then pushed Van Avermaet into third place but was still a second off Malori's pace.

Defending champion, Tinkoff-Saxo's Alberto Contador finished 19 seconds behind the Italian in 61st, while Vincenzo Nibali riding for Astana fared best out of the general classification favourites after finishing 11th with a time of six minutes and 15 seconds.

Stage two takes place on Thursday and comprises a flat 153-kilometre route between Camaiore and Cascina.