Ciao ragazzi! Welcome to live coverage of stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia - an undulating 205km schlep from Bologna to Fucecchio.

Here's Pasca; Ackermann celebrating that deserved victory with his Bora team-mates, who really took that finish by the scruff of its neck.

Here's the top 10 today with the Big Five sprinters sharing out the first five places.

Well, well - that puts to bed the debate about Ackermann's inclusion over Sam Bennett: there was only one way he was going to convince the critics of the merit of his place - and he's just done it.

Superb stuff from the big German, who pipped Caleb Ewan and Elia Viviani for a maiden Grand Tour win, with Gaviria and Demare completing the top five.

VICTORY FOR PASCAL ACKERMANN!

Lotto Soudal have taken control but Gaviria and Viviani are still there...

Under the flamme rouge and there's been a crash!

Puncture for Manuel Belletti so he won't be contesting the sprint. The Androni rider is livid...

Paval Sivakov of Ineos has placed himself between two Dimension Data riders on the front - and here come Groupama and Bora! Viviani is also there, too, with the Wolfpack.

Dimension Data have a couple of riders on the front now even though their sprinter, Giacomo Nizzolo, was distanced earlier with a mechanical.

It's still Bora in control as the pack negotiates a roundabout. Lotto and Groupama are there as well, as are Ineos and Sunweb.

It's getting nervous and messy now as the teams battle for positions. Demare has moved up with his Groupama-FDJ pilots, QuickStep are there, as are Lotto and UAE - but so too are the teams of the GC riders, so it's a crowded place.

Ciccone is caught, quickly followed by the other three. Game on for the sprint - and here come Deceuninck-QuickStep...

Another chain issue for Christian Knees of Team Ineos, who needs to change his bike.

Bora-Hansgrohe have six riders - including that man Ackermann - on the front of the pack driving the pace. The German national champion is riding his first road stage of his first Grand Tour; his selection over the in-form Sam Bennett caused quite a stir; can he justify the faith in him and kick things off with a win? The break still has 10 seconds.

The pack is breathing down the neck of the break but they're in no mood to give up just yet. The peloton is now back as one, give or take, after that earlier split.

It's a really fast pace and everything has got a little tense out there. Our four leaders have 12" over the main pack with a second group a further 25 seconds back. Andrey Zeits, of Astana, needs a new bike after a mechanical.

We just passed the town of Mastromarco, which has a connection with the Nibali brothers.

We're onto a little uncategorised hill before the final run-in to the line. Bora set the tempo for their German champion Ackermann and they have Mitchelton-Scott just behind, with their man Simon Yates, in the ciclamino jersey he will relinquish in half an hour, keeping out of trouble.