Buongiorno e benvenuto to live coverage of the 101st edition of the Giro d'Italia which kicks off in Jerusalem with a 9.7km individual time trial ahead of two road stages around Israel over the weekend. It's an unprecedented and controversial grande partenza - the first time a Grand Tour has started outside Europe - but there we go, that's cycling.

Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) enters the final kilometre. The Spanish veteran had some issues with his chain earlier - it dropped during a shift - so he probably won't be a factor today. Let's see what his time is... Here he is: and it's the 12th best time, 51 seconds down on Dennis.

Will anyone beat Rohan Dennis today? Given the crashes suffered by Froome and Lopez in training, you'd think that the big favourites may not copy the Australian and leave everything out on the road, so I'm going to say no: Dennis will be in pink tonight.

We spoke to Team Sky directeur sportive Nicolas Portal about Chris Froome's training crash this morning. The Frenchman gave us quite an insight into the challenging nature of this course...

Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates) pushes Kangert off the podium after coming home 40 seconds down on Dennis for third place. The in-form Czech Roman Kreuziger (Mitchelton-Scott) has just rolled down the ramp - he'll be riding in support of team-mates Esteban Chaves and Simon Yates in this Giro.

The top three at the moment. Dennis leading Cavagna by 33 seconds and Kangert by 41. Jurgen Roelands and Vasil Kiryienka complete the top five, with Salvatore Puccio, another Sky rider, in sixth behind his team-mate.

Kiryienka is a massive 43 seconds down on Dennis at the finish, coming home in provisional sixth place.

Team Sky's Vasil Kiryienka is another rider who could get in the mix today. The Belorussian veteran is at the half-way point but we have had no time check for him as yet... Ah, here it is, he's 20 seconds down in eighth position at the 5.1km split so it looks like he won't trouble Dennis today.

Here was the moment Dennis crossed the line and moved into pole position.

An exhausted Rohan Dennis (BMC) after his target time of 12'04": "I'm in a bit of pain right now. I left everything out on the course so fingers crossed. Technically, it was very tough. I would have liked to have had the roads a bit smoother, but you can't have everything. It's very hot here."

Missed the team presentations yesterday? Well, the official Giro d'Italia twitter feed has it covered...

A reminder of that training crash suffered by Chris Froome. It looks like he got back on his bike and into his TT position - but how effective will he be today. By the time he rolls down the ramp - quite a few hours after his spill - he'll be mighty stiff...

Wow, that was a monster time from Rohan Dennis who speeds up on the second half of the course to shave a huge 33 seconds off Cavagna's time. We have a new leader - but is it enough for the pink jersey?

Rohan Dennis catches his minute man, Simone Andreetta. Just a few more kilometres for the ITT specialist.

Some of Remi Cavagna's stats courtesy of our friends at Velon.

Dennis negotiates a tough right-hand corner at the half-way stage - and the road surface is really terrible: lumpy, dusty and with crevices right where the riders sweep round through the bend. The Australian is 9 seconds up on Cavagna with 4.8km remaining so he should move into the hot seat at the finish.

Bored by today's time trial? Then why not have a go at our Cycling Predictor game for the Giro and beyond...

Down the ramp rolls Rohan Dennis in his Australian national champion's skinsuit. The BMC rider is one of the big favourites today - and an outside bet for the entire race. Yet to really prove himself over three weeks (he has a tendency to crash out or withdraw from Grand Tours), Dennis will hope to start his Giro with a pink jersey to take the pressure off his shoulders a little.

Rohan Dennis (BMC) will get his race under way soon. The Australian is one of the big favourites today and is set to roll down the ramp at 12:31. Other starting times of note include Fabio Aru 14:32, Esteban Chaves at 14:37, Lopez at 14:39, Froome at 14:41, Tony Martin at 14:44 and the defending champion Dumoulin at 14:45.

We have a new leader: French youngster Remi Cavagna (Quick-Step Floors) comes home eight seconds quicker than Kangert to set the new target time of 12'37".

And another big name rider - Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana - also took a spill but the Colombian was able to get back on his bike. So, it's all happening. Incidentally, it's Lopez's Astana team-mate Tanel Kangert who is the current leader today, the Estonian setting a time of 12:45 - two seconds quicker than Jurgen Roelandts of BMC.