Finn Fisher-Black scored his first win as a professional with a solo victory on the opening stage of the Giro de Sicilia today.

Fisher-Black, 21, was originally set to put in a hard stint for teammate Diego Ulissi but found himself clear with 2km to go and he pushed on in the uphill finish for the victory in the 159km stage from Marsala to Agrigento.

The UAE squad were in powerful form with Ulissi finishing third and Kiwi George Bennett in ninth, both safely in the peloton.

Fisher-Black holds all four jerseys – as the stage winner, overall leader, mountains and youth after the first day.

“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 (Director Sportif) on the radio just told me to go as hard as I could,” said Fisher-Black.

“I didn’t believe I could win until I saw the line. It’s a really important win for me. I broke my leg last year and coming back has been the hardest thing I’ve done, but this moment makes it all worth it.”

Fisher-Black broke his femur last May in a crash in the Boucles de la Mayenne in France which has taken eight months in rehabilitation.

Tomorrow’s stage two is a relatively flat 193km stage from Canicattì to Vittoria.