Irish cycling champion Ben Healy in Baby Giro | Sticky Bottle

*Andrea Cantoni wins the opening stage, and the first race leader's jersey, at the Baby Giro, where national champion Ben Healy is the sole Irish rider in the field*

Ben Healy has gotten his Baby Giro campaign underway today, when he finished in the main field on stage 1 as the breakaway survived to fight it out for stage honours.

Healy (Trinity Racing) has had very little competition so far this year as many events, especially development and U23 races, have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

However, he recently rode the three-stage Tour d'Eure-et-Loir (2.2) in France and has vital experience of the Baby Giro from last year, when he helped Tom Pidcock to overall victory.

*Ben Healy in his Irish champion's Trinity Racing kit just before the start of stage 1 today in Cesenatico*

This time around, Healy (20) will be Trinity Racing's main general classification hope. And on today's 144.5km stage from Cesenatico to Riccione he finished in 116th place, in the peloton.

The breakaway today was comprised of Edoardo Ferri (Petroli Firenze-Hopplà-Don Camillo), Christopher Consolaro (Velo Plus Palazzago), Riccardo Bobbo (Work Service Marchiol Vega), Francesco Carollo (Interregionale), Michael Garrison (Hagens Berman Axeon) and Andrea Cantoni (#in Emilia Romagna).

They broke clear and formed into a successful escape in the first 20km of racing, gaining a lead of over five minutes. And while they were pegged right back by the end of the stage, they still made it all the way.

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Cantoni, a 20-year-old Italian, was last across to the breakaway group. And towards the end of the stage he took flight and won solo, to claim his first ever victory in a UCI-ranked race. He finished 25 seconds ahead of compatriot Bobbo in 2^nd and American rider Garrison in 3^rd.

Healy’s team mate, Ben Turner, took 6^th at 32 seconds, with the peloton a further five seconds back. Turner almost bridged three minutes to the breakaway with a 30km solo attack.

Tomorrow’s stage 2 is 138.3km from Riccione to Imola and takes in the short steep climb that featured in last year’s World Championships. It is terrain that Healy knows well as he was on the Irish team for the elite men’s road race at the Imola Worlds.