Aussie team shines in Tirreno-Adriatico TT

Australian cycling team Mitchelton-Scott have claimed victory in the opening team time trial at the Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy.

Brisbane native Michael Hepburn was the first of the five Mitchelton-Scott riders over the line to bag the leader's blue jersey, while national time trial champion Luke Durbridge was key to giving his group - last off the ramp - a solid start.

The team also managed to avert disaster as they narrowly avoided a spectator running across the road with her dog.

"We were quietly confident in our team, we have a lot of big boys, a lot of powerful time trialists and today was one of our chances to get some time and we did that," track world champion and two-time Olympic silver medallist Hepburn told the team's official website.

"Team trials are very technical these days and it's something our team enjoys doing, especially myself."

But while Mitchelton-Scott avoided a crash, Peter Sagan's Bora Hansgrohe team saw their Tirreno-Adriatico hopes dashed when a different spectator crossing the road in front of their train was struck, sending two of their riders tumbling in Wednesday's opening stage.

Slovakian three-time world champion Sagan stayed on his bike but Poland's Rafal Majka and Italian Oscar Gatto went down in a nasty spill.

Both riders finished the stage but the Bora Hansgrohe team said Majka would undergo further checks.