Lizzie Deignan’s Trek-Segafredo team won the opening team time trial of the Giro Rosa as Elisa Longo Borghini took the leader’s jersey on the first stage.
Italian Borghini led the team over the line in 20 minutes 05.99 seconds after the 16.8km Grosseto route.
Boels Dolmans finished second, more than three seconds back, with Mitchelton-Scott – featuring defending champion Annemiek van Vleuten – third.
Borghini will wear the leader’s maglia rosa for the first time.
“It’s nice,” she said. “It was a team victory and I think every one of these girls deserve a maglia rosa because it was so good and so smooth.”
The 10-stage Giro Rosa in Italy is the only women’s Grand Tour.
Saturday’s second stage is 124.8km from Paganico to Arcidosso.
The Giro’s use of podium girls has raised a few eyebrows, with a number of comments on social media.