Germany's Pascal Ackermann on Monday won the first of the eight-stage Tirreno-Adriatico race, being used by former Tour de France winners Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas as a warm-up for the Vuelta a Espana and Giro d'Italia.

Ackermann came through the line first from Colombian Fernando Gaviria after a 133km ride around Lido di Camaiore, as a crash wiped out a large part of the main peloton just 1.5km from the finish.

Thomas finished 10 seconds off Ackermann, while Ineos Grenadiers teammate Froome was 1min 4sec back.

Four-time Tour winner Froome will use the race as a warm-up for the Vuelta a Espana from October 20-November 8, an event he has already won twice.

2018 Tour winner Thomas, meanwhile, can use the Tirreno as an appetiser ahead of the Giro d'Italia from October 3-25.

Tuesday's second stage sees the 175-strong peloton -- which also features Trek-Segafredo's four-time Grand Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali and the in-form Astana duo of Jakob Fuglsang and Aleksandr Vlasov -- tackle a largely flat 201km ride from Lido di Camaiore to Follonica that will suit the sprinters.