Finn Fisher-Black has scored his first professional win, with the Kiwi cyclist stunning the field in the opening stage of the Tour of Sicily this morning.
Some clever thinking and impressive climb allowed Fisher-Black to catch rivals off guard as much of the focus was on his favoured UAE Team Emirates teammate Diego Ulissi.
With that in mind, Fisher-Black launched a shock attack late in the stage's final climb and held on for an eight second victory at the finish.
"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," Fisher-Black said.
"I didn't believe I could win until I saw the line.
"I kept looking back, and I could see the group just behind me. It was only 100m before the line when I realised I'd get there before them. It wasn't the plan, I'm still in shock."
The win saw Fisher-Black awarded four jerseys afterwards; the leader of the general classification, points classification, king of the mountain and young riders classification.
It adds an impressive chapter to the 21-year-old's comeback story after he fractured his femur last year in a crash at Boucles de la Mayenne.
Fisher-Black said he hopes to use the result as a springboard for his European season with the four-day Giro di Sicilia considered a tune-up race for the prestigious Giro d'Italia.
"It's a really important win for me," he said.
"The last year has been so hard, I broke my leg and coming back has been the hardest thing I've ever done. But this moment makes it all worth it."
With two flat stages ahead of him, Fisher-Black has the potential to hold on to his lead before the final stage where everything will be on the line.
"I can try, but first I want to enjoy this and soak it in. It's a big win for me."
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