The second stage, at 198 km in length, featured an undulating parcours for the first half of the race, while the final 60 km took place on almost flat terrain. Just as yesterday, the race was a matter to be settled by the fast men, and in the end, the victory was yet again contested in a mass sprint in Follinica. After the start in Camaiore, four riders were able to break away, and following the first hour of racing, they had already gained a lead of approximately 5 minutes. However, the peloton was not willing to let them get much further and was quick to increase the pace. In the final phase of racing, BORA – hansgrohe, with the current GC leader Pascal Ackermann in their ranks, took full control of the race until the remaining escapee was reeled back in with 15 km to go. In the final 10 km, the teams of the top sprinters came to the fore. On the finishing straight, Pascal took F. Gaviria’s wheel, swung out from behind and pipped the Colombian on the line. With this win, he not only took his second stage victory at this year’s Tirreno – Adriatico, but also retained his lead in the general classification.
Result
01 P. Ackermann 5:01:53
02 F. Gaviria +0:00
03 R. Zabel +0:00
04 D. Ballerini +0:00
From the Finish Line
“The team did so well today, and the finale was a very exciting one. I was able to completely trust my lead-out, and it was a really close sprint. In fact, it couldn’t have been any closer, otherwise I would have missed out on the win. I found myself in the wind a bit too early, but I couldn’t go back and at that point I had no choice and just went for it. I had good legs and so managed to cross the line first. Now I’m looking forward to Saturday, because I might have another chance there. Tomorrow’s stage will be more difficult, and perhaps I’ll take it a bit slower and easier to recover from the two sprint stages.” – Pascal Ackermann
“In comparison to yesterday’s stage, where we were a bit lucky, today actually went exactly as we had envisaged. The guys implemented our plan very well. Maciej controlled the race almost all on his own. At the beginning, there was a 4-man leading group, with there being only three left out front a short time later, until the last escapee was caught again. In the finale, the guys performed excellently, the lead-out did a superb job and Pascal had really good legs again. It was a very nice win for us, and the result of strong teamwork.” – Jens Zemke, Sports Director
