From the drop of the flag on the penultimate day of Tirreno Adriatico, all eyes were on the finale. A relatively gentle stage would be concluded with a last kilometre dotted with tight turns, sudden gradient changes, roundabouts and other street furniture. While the UCI World Champion, Peter Sagan, got through unscathed, he just missed the victory, coming a close second to Quick-Step Floors’ Gaviria. Resplendent in red today, Peter confirmed his hold on the points jersey with one day left to race.
After yesterday’s long, tough stage, the shorter distance and comparatively flatter profile would be a welcome sight for the riders today. At 168km, the stage was just over 40km shorter than yesterday’s, and with only one categorised climb, the parcours was nothing like the relentless climbing and descending of stage 5. Like any race, however, it’s the riders who make it difficult, and on the last road stage of this 52nd edition of Tirreno Adriatico, there would be some GC favourites looking to take time ahead of the last day’s time trial, while at the finale, the sprinters would be looking to take their final chance for glory.
Eight got in the break almost as soon as the stage started, jumping ahead and creating a gap of three minutes. The terrain was perfect for an escape to get away, but a flat run to the finish line meant that a breakaway win was unlikely – the sprinters and their teams had their eye on this stage. Coming into the final 100km, the gap was down to a little over two minutes and was coming down gradually – and even though the peloton was held up at a level crossing, the gap continued to drop when they were on their way again.
In spite of the break’s best efforts, it seemed certain the catch would be made, and as the final 10km came, the attacks from the peloton began – working to bridge the gap to the survivors of the breakaway. With 6.5km remaining, the UCI World Champion, Peter Sagan, staked his claim on the stage – surging up the road on the last climb of the day, using it as his launchpad for a late attack and to try to put some distance between him and the sprint teams. Well aware of the danger this presented, the pace upped in the peloton even more to keep the Slovak rider in contact. The final kilometre was frenetic – with high speeds and street furniture raising the chances of a crash. As the sprinters surged, Peter was boxed in and was late to start his sprint, finishing just second to Quick-Step Floors’ Gaviria, but this second place meant he secured his red points jersey going into the race’s final day.
After working so hard for his win on stage 5, Peter was feeling his efforts of the previous day. “It was a very nervous stage and it’s good we managed to finish without any incidents. Quick-Step Floors attacked a lot and as for myself, I think I’m happy with the result. Gaviria proved a bit stronger and got the win. Given the huge effort I put in yesterday, I’m satisfied with my performance and the result today.”
From the finish, Team Coach, Patxi Vila, saw how difficult the finale kilometre would be, particularly after Peter’s effort yesterday. “As expected, today’s stage finished with a bunch sprint. The final part was a bit tricky with a lot of curves and a small climb. It wasn’t easy to get the team to work to perfection, but the guys helped as much as they could. Thanks to his extraordinary skills, Peter isn’t really a rider who needs a leadout. He was well positioned and Gaviria was actually on his wheel. However, Gaviria anticipated the sprint and Peter missed it by a small margin. This second place is a good result, taking into consideration how deep he had to go yesterday while the other sprinters went a bit easier. I think we have to be satisfied with today’s result – it has been a good Tirreno Adriatico for the team. We had two wins, a second and a third – so it’s good overall.”
With the Race of the Two seas almost at an end after six gruelling days, the riders finally reach the Adriatic for tomorrow’s Individual Time Trial in San Benedetto del Tronto. For some, this will be a relaxing 10.05km spin of the legs, but for others – the GC riders in particular – this could be their final chance to change the outcome of the race or gain a podium spot, while the TT specialists will be looking for a stage win. An out and back route on fast roads awaits, with the sea in view almost the whole course – riders will doubtless be looking forward to some rest and relaxation after one final push.
