The 2012 Giro d'Italia kicked off with an opening time trial in Herning, Denmark and in just four stages the race has not been lacking for first-week action. American Taylor Phinney targeted- and won- the time trial to take his first ever grand tour leader's jersey. Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in stage 2, but both he and Phinney would soon be on the ground after a chaotic stage 3 sprint. Down but not out, they soldiered on through the team time trial, won in impressive fashion by the Garmin-Barricuda team.