"The final was quite dangerous, with this turn 200 meters from the finish" - Alberto Dainese misses out on victory to Paul Magnier at Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx

Alberto Dainese narrowly missed out on a debut victory for Tudor Pro Cycling Team at the Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx, losing out in the final sprint to Soudal - Quick-Step prodigy, Paul Magnier.

"It was a great first day with the team, I couldn’t wait to start this new season,” the 25-year-old Italian reflected post-race in conversation with Eurosport. "Marius Mayrhofer did a good job, as did the team as a whole, but unfortunately I lost Marius' wheel in the last kilometre."

Speaking about the finale in more depth however, Dainese admitted he wasn't completely convinced course design. "The final was quite dangerous," he admits. "With this turn 200 meters from the finish which was a little slippery. I had to throw from afar, I was fast, but it wasn't enough."

With Tudor Pro Cycling Team set for a Grand Tour debut in 2024 at the Giro d'Italia, Dainese will get a chance to add to his impressive tally of 3 Grand Tour stage wins to date. Nevertheless, Dainese was keen to open his season with a victory. "We came here to win and I wanted to reward my teammates for their work, so I'm a little disappointed," he admits. "We'll try again on Sunday."