The 2004 Giro d'Italia began with a prologue around the Italian city of Genoa. Bradley McGee won the first leg of the race after besting the second place rider Olaf Pollack by ten seconds. The race's first mass-start stage came down to a sprint finish in the city of Alba. The stage was won by Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi and Pollack managed to take the race lead after earning a twelve-second time bonus by finishing second on the stage. Stage 2 saw the race lead switch back to McGee after he finished second to the stage winner Damiano Cunego.