Tirreno-Adriatico (2021) Photos March 10 - 16

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Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA)	Big racing after his bout with covid-19, Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE) was 11th in the sprint	"First stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico and, as expected, it came down to a fast bunch sprint. For me, it was also the first race of the 2021 season, so it was important to get back to race rhythm after a long break. The team, once again, did a very good job and I was kept safe in the long, final straight line to the finish. The last kilometre was quite hectic and, unfortunately, I wasn't in an ideal position to contest the sprint." – Peter Sagan
	Last year's overall winner, Simon YATES
3rd today, Fernando GAVIRIA (COL/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)		Strade Bianche winner, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	2nd today, Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL)
Nairo Quintana		Start scene in Lido di Camaiore
The break on an overpass
		Filippo GANNA (ITA/INEOS GRENADIERS) and Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE);
		The straight run to the line in Lido di Camaiore
The sprint finish in Lido di Camaiore. As Matt Stephens said, "Wout van Aert: Incredible power delivered with finesse and minimal fuss. Notice the lack of lateral movement of the bike, the power just driven down and through his machine. No waste."	Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) wins Stage 1 in 3:36:17 ahead of 2 Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL), 3 Fernando GAVIRIA RENDON (COL/UAE TEAM EMIRATES), 4 Andrea VENDRAME (ITA/AG2R CITROEN), 5 Luka MEZGEC (SLO/BIKEEXCHANGE), 6 Tim MERLIER (BEL/ALPECIN-FENIX), 7 Alvaro Jose HODEG CHAGUI (COL/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), 8 Davide BALLERINI (ITA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), 9 Ivan GARCIA CORTINA (ESP/MOVISTAR), 10 Hugo HOFSTETTER (FRA/ISRAEL START-UP NATION), 11 Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE)	The finish scene in Lido di Camaiore
	Wout Van Aert, said: "I’m surprised to win but it was the plan this morning to go for the sprint. I specifically trained for it yesterday, and also in Tenerife. Cyclo-cross is good practice for the explosive finishes but I was a bit worried about a lack of speed in the legs. I will focus on the overall classification of the Tirreno-Adriatico, then I’ll have a few days to recover afterwards and of course, after last year’s win, I’m looking forward to trying to win Milano-Sanremo again. Coming here I was convinced that my shape was good. This win is good for the head and for the spirit of the team."	Stage 1 sprint winner, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA)
First and maybe the only race leader at this year's race? Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA)	Some think Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) can win every stage at this year's race

Stage 2:  Camaiore → Chiusdino, 226 km  Full Results and Report

Stong break with João ALMEIDA (POR/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) leads before breaking clear of Simon YATES (GBR/TEAM BIKEEXCHANGE); Mikel LANDA (ESP/BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS); Pavel SIVAKOV (RUS/INEOS GRENADIERS)	From the DQS race report: With two kilometers to go, the chasers could see the leaders, but Almeida continued to make it hard for the bunch, getting out of the saddle and dropping his companions. The 22-year-old gritted his teeth as he rode under the flamme rouge, but the margin began to come down rapidly. Sensing this was the perfect moment to go, Julian Alaphilippe – who up until that point sat on the wheel of Kasper Asgreen and Zdenek Stybar – punched clear 200 meters from the line and held off both Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) as he celebrated his second win in the iconic rainbow jersey.	Great shot of the four of the best cyclists in the world exhibiting their game faces on the uphill finish in Chiusdino
Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) wins Stage 2 in 5:01:32 ahead of 2 Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX), 3 Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA), 4 Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES), 5 Alex ARANBURU DEBA (ESP/ASTANA - PREMIER TECH), 6 Robert STANNARD (AUS/BIKEEXCHANGE), 7 João ALMEIDA (POR/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), 8 Greg VAN AVERMAET (BEL/AG2R CITROEN), 9 Tim WELLENS (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL), 10 Giulio CICCONE (ITA/TREK - SEGAFREDO), 11 Andrea VENDRAME (ITA/AG2R CITROEN), 12 Egan Arley BERNAL GOMEZ (COL/INEOS GRENADIERS)	Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) winning margin
The runner-up salute as frustrated Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) had to start his sprint all the way back in 7th place	Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) relished beating Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) in round 2 of Strade Bianche	Your Stage 2 winner, Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), his second win in the Rainbows
Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP): “We were in a perfect position with João at the front, which allowed me to stay focused on keeping my position. When it became clear he would get caught after Thomas’ forcing, I went and gave everything, full gas until the line. This first victory of the season is a relief for me. It’s never easy to win in the rainbow jersey and to do it at this race feels amazing”, said Julian, whose first success of the season came in the country where he conquered the rainbow stripes last September.	3rd today, race leader by 4s, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA): “It's not a win but a good result. The third place is the maximum I could get today. When Julian accelerated I was already at my limit. He was the strongest today. My team did a fantastic job to keep me in a good position, especially when some of the GC contenders went up the road.”

Stage 3:  Monticiano → Gualdo Tadino, 189 km  Full Results and Report

		The Maglia Azzurra Wout van Aert
Yesterday's stage winner, Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP)	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)	ALPECIN-FENIX with Mathieu VAN DER POEL
	Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), who abandoned today, and Wout Van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma)	Start scene in Monticiano
	The early break with Mark PADUN (UKR/BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS); Guillaume BOIVIN (CAN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION); Niki TERPSTRA (NED/TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE)
		Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) had time to make a statement at the end of the slight uphill sprint finish
The winning margin, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) wins Stage 3 in 5:24:18 ahead of 2 Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA), 3 Davide BALLERINI (ITA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), 4 Sergio Andres HIGUITA GARCIA (COL/EF EDUCATION - NIPPO), 5 Greg VAN AVERMAET (BEL/AG2R CITROEN), 6 Jasper DE BUYST (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL), 7 Ivan GARCIA CORTINA (ESP/MOVISTAR), 8 Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES), 9 Gonzalo SERRANO RODRIGUEZ (ESP/MOVISTAR), 10 Hugo HOFSTETTER (FRA/ISRAEL START-UP NATION)	The finish scene in Gualdo Tadino	After chasing to close the gap, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) watched Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) take the win
	Mathieu van der Poel said: “My celebration on the finish line is something that came from a MotoGP rider, I can't remember who exactly [Fabio Quartararo]. We found it on Instagram and I promised my teammates that I would try to replicate it. Yesterday I was, for sure, a bit angry with myself. I made a mistake in the finale. Today, I really wanted to win. My team did an amazing job bringing the first group back. The gap left by Julian Alaphilippe wasn’t something I expected. Wout van Aert reacted immediately. It was perfect for me. It could have been a weird situation but it turned out well. Milano-Sanremo will be another story. It’s not comparable to today's stage victory, but for me, personally, this stage win comes as a good sign.”
Your Stage 3 winner, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)
The Maglia Azzurra Wout van Aert, commented: “I think I missed out on the stage victory because of the gap left by Julian Alaphilippe to favor Zdenek Stybar. It was a surprise for everyone. I had to react to keep the possibility of winning the stage alive. Mathieu was on my wheel and I was at a point of no return. I led him out and he was in the perfect position. But I took a few bonus seconds, so it was not all negative today. Normally, it would be very difficult for me to retain the leader’s jersey tomorrow. This situation is completely new for me, but I’m ready to fight. My team is very strong and we saved some energy today. I’ll be hanging on as long as possible. I’ll try to not lose too much time when I’ll get dropped by the climbers and we’ll figure out tomorrow evening if I can still compete for the overall victory.”

Stage 4:  Terni → Prati di Tivo, 148 km  Full Results and Report

11th Egan BERNAL (COL/INEOS GRENADIERS) + 58s	Start scene in Terni
	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) attacked with 6 km to go and bridged up to 12th Geraint THOMAS (GBR/INEOS GRENADIERS) + 58s who attacked a little earlier	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) drops 12th Geraint THOMAS (GBR/INEOS GRENADIERS) with 5 km to go
Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) looking for GC time now	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) with Simon YATES (GBR/BIKEEXCHANGE), in the background, closing the gap from 12s down to 6s	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) wins Stage 4
Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) wins Stage 4	The finish scene in Prati di Tivo, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) wins Stage 4	Simon YATES (GBR/BIKEEXCHANGE) crosses for 2nd + 6s
2nd Simon YATES (GBR/BIKEEXCHANGE) + 6s closed the gap but ran out of asphalt	5th Nairo QUINTANA (COL/ARKEA - SAMSIC) + 31s	7th Matteo FABBRO (ITA/BORA - HANSGROHE) + 42s
Race winner and new Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) warming down with the previous race leader, 9th today Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) + 45s	Your Stage 4 winner, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “I tried to attack to stay alone and be able to set my pace. When I saw that the advantage over my opponents was good, I pushed really hard to try and keep the gap, also because I knew Yates was coming close. I gave it my all and managed to win.”
	New race leader, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “As far as the general classification is concerned, every second advantage is precious, also because tomorrow a very difficult stage awaits us and, also because of the final time trial, the fight for the victory will be balanced.”	Race leader Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) silhouette against the mountains
Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) still has the points jersey. Maglia Ciclamino Wout van Aert, who's now second in the GC, commented: “I would have liked to hang on longer and get more support from the other teams but Tadej [Pogačar] started quite early and that was not in my favour. The pressure was on me and I had to pace for myself. I think I did the best I could. 35 seconds is a nice advantage for Tadej but there are three more stages. I'm looking in front of me, not behind yet and the next few stages should suit me. We’re still aiming at the overall victory and we’ll try until the end. The race is not over.”

Stage 5:  Castellalto → Catelfidardo, 205 km  Full Results and Report

		Start scene in Castellalto
The rollout from Castellalto	The rollout from Castellalto
The ominous skies opened up on a day when rain wasn't expected	The break in the rain
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) attacks on the downhill	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) attacked with 52 km to go "to stay warm"	Davide FORMOLO (UAE TEAM EMIRATES) help his race leader, Tadej POGAČAR by leading the chase for almost 30 km
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) taking on food he would badly need near the finish	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) stretched his lead out to 3 minutes	Race leader, Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates) dropping Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) in pursuit of GC time
Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) would finish + 49s: “I was aiming for the stage win but you saw how the finale went and Tadej [Pogačar] was stronger than me and everybody else. I expected that Mathieu [van der Poel] would try early. He did an impressive effort. Tadej has definitely showed that he’s the strongest and he’s now too far in front of me on the GC. I’m in good position for getting second place overall. I’ll also try to win another stage but first of all I have to recover from this very hard race.”	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) on his long solo bid	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) pedaling squares
Out of gas before the final climb and with his margin plummeting, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) struggled all the way to the finish	Freezing cold Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) survives to win stage 5 in 4:48:17 ahead of Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) by just 10s	Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) survives to win stage 5 in 4:48:17 ahead of 2nd Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) + 10s
The stage winner Mathieu van der Poel said: “I got cold and I wanted to race from far out on the lap. We made a front group of twenty good riders but we didn’t work well together. I found myself away alone in a descent while I was eating. I felt good until the last 20km then I was extremely cold and my body was empty. I was too cold to put something on. I didn’t expect to be so cold. For sure this was one of my toughest days on the bike. I’m happy to take the win because I didn’t have much left over Tadej [Pogačar]. I’m really happy to finish it off.”	Epic win by Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	Now a common scene when Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) wins... collapsing at the finish
Pure exhaustion	Your Stage 5 winner, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)	Stage 5 winner, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX)
Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates) extended his overall win to 1:15 over Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma): “I attacked at the end when I saw there was a chance to drop Wout van Aert. I had good legs for this freezing weather so I tried. I made a gap and I reached the finish line in a good position with a nice advantage so I’m really happy. Anything can happen in cycling but I hope everything will go smoothly until the end of the Tirreno-Adriatico and I’ll keep my focus until the finish line of the last stage.”	Best young rider too, Tadej Pogačar (UAE-Team Emirates), salutes a teammate

Stage 6:  Castelraimondo → Lido di Fermo, 169 km  Full Results and Report

Lotto Soudal during the teams presentation prior to Stage 6 in Castelraimondo	Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP)	Last year's winner, Simon YATES (GBR/BIKEEXCHANGE) is 10th this year almost 7 minutes back
Filippo GANNA (ITA/INEOS GRENADIERS) and Geraint THOMAS (GBR/INEOS GRENADIERS)	Covid-19 survivors Fernando GAVIRIA (COL/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) and Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE)	Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE) has kept a low-profile in his first race back
Jersey leaders, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) and Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)	After yesterday's rain, the clear-sky bucolic rollout from Castelraimondo	The beautiful rollout from Castelraimondo
The early break against the Italian flag		Race leader Tadej POGACAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) shedding a layer
Yesterday's 52 km solo break winner, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED)(ALPECIN-FENIX)	The break hits the coast	The peloton
The winning break OLIVEIRA Nelson (POR)(MOVISTAR TEAM); SCHMIDT Mads Würtz (DEN)(ISRAEL START-UP NATION); VELASCO Simone (ITA)(GAZPROM-RUSVELO); BAKELANTS Jan (BEL)(INTERMARCHÉ - WANTY - GOBERT MATÉRIAUX); VAN MOER Brent (BEL)(LOTTO SOUDAL)	The peloton and race leader, Tadej POGACAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)	The winning break OLIVEIRA Nelson (POR)(MOVISTAR TEAM); SCHMIDT Mads Würtz (DEN)(ISRAEL START-UP NATION); VELASCO Simone (ITA)(GAZPROM-RUSVELO); BAKELANTS Jan (BEL)(INTERMARCHÉ - WANTY - GOBERT MATÉRIAUX); VAN MOER Brent (BEL)(LOTTO SOUDAL)
Mads WÜRTZ SCHMIDT (DEN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION) wins Stage 6 in 3:42:09 ahead of 2 Brent VAN MOER (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL), 3 Simone VELASCO (ITA/GAZPROM-RUSVELO), 4 Jan BAKELANTS (BEL/INTERMARCHÉ - WANTY - GOBERT MATÉRIAUX), 5 Nelson OLIVEIRA (POR/MOVISTAR)	The runner-up and victory salutes,Brent VAN MOER (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL) and Mads WÜRTZ SCHMIDT (DEN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION), respectively	Finish scene in Lido di Fermo. Mads WÜRTZ SCHMIDT (DEN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION) wins Stage 6 in 3:42:09 ahead of 2 Brent VAN MOER (BEL/LOTTO SOUDAL), 3 Simone VELASCO (ITA/GAZPROM-RUSVELO), 4 Jan BAKELANTS (BEL/INTERMARCHÉ - WANTY - GOBERT MATÉRIAUX), 5 Nelson OLIVEIRA (POR/MOVISTAR)
The margin of victory	First win for the 5 year pro Mads WÜRTZ SCHMIDT (DEN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION): “I knew it was possible to arrive in the breakaway when we started the last lap, at around 45 km, and we had a 4-minute advantage over the group. It’s always hard to arrive in a breakaway, but our group was working well together. I felt super strong and in the finale I felt confident that I could beat them in a sprint.”	Your Stage 6 winner, Mads WÜRTZ SCHMIDT (DEN/ISRAEL START-UP NATION)
Race leader, Tadej POGACAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “The breakaway was so strong that we couldn’t catch them and that made for fast racing. I kept focused all day, watching out for possible attacks. In the last climb I realized the peloton was not well enough organized for a sprint finish. For us, it was a quieter day. I’m glad this stage is over for me. I will time trial tomorrow according to my feelings on the bike. I hope to do a good time trial. Almost every stage race this year includes a time trial, so tomorrow will also be good training for the next races. It’s a different course than at the UAE Tour although it’s another flat one. There are a lot of top specialists, some speed bumps on the route as well. I will need to focus a little bit more on the road. All I want as a result tomorrow is to remain in the leader’s jersey.”	Green Jersey also	And the white jersey
Wout van Aert in the Maglia Ciclamino said: “Yesterday was a really hard day. I felt tired this morning so we decided to let the bunch choose whether to chase the breakaway down or not. The front group happened to be really strong. At the end of the day, it was better for my team and myself to take it easy. I’ll give it one more go tomorrow. Filippo Ganna is the big favourite. He has won all the TTs he's done over the last year. It will be hard to beat him, especially after a hard week of racing every day but I’m looking forward to racing against the clock.”

Stage 7:  San Benedetto del Tronto → San Benedetto del Tronto, 11.1 km  Full Results and Report

Last year's winner, and pre-race Stage 7 favorite, Filippo Ganna	Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) on the ramp and on his way to victory	Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) won the Stage 7, 11.1 km in 11:06 winning by 6s
Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA), 3rd fastest time for over the history of the San Benedetto del Tronto 11.1 ITT	2nd Stefan KÜNG (SUI/GROUPAMA - FDJ) + 6s	3rd Filippo GANNA (ITA/INEOS GRENADIERS) + 11s, first time he hasn't won a TT while wearing the Rainbows
Race leader Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) in the start house	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) on his way to an impressive 4th place + 12s just one second behind Ganna	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) celebrates an easy overall win by over one-minute
Good ride by 7th João ALMEIDA (POR/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) + 24s for 6th overall	Your opening and last stage winner, Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) bookends this year's race.	Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA): “It was a hard one even though it was short. It hurt a lot. I've improved my time trialing in the last few years. I'm very happy with this victory, with almost all the best time trialists on the start line. It's a really good start to the season. It was my first time aiming for GC in a stage race and I only got beaten by the Tour de France winner. I'll try more of this in the future but for now I have the classics in my mind, starting with Milano-Sanremo.”
Your overall winner, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES)	Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES): “I am super happy with today's performance and with this success! After the UAE Tour, now I have won the Tirreno-Adriatico, what a fantastic start to the season. Now I think I can enjoy a few days of rest!”	Your 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico podium: 2nd Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) + 1:03, 1st Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 26:36:17 and 3rd Mikel LANDA MEANA (ESP/BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS) + 3:57
Your 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico podium: 2nd Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) + 1:03, 1st Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) 26:36:17 and 3rd Mikel LANDA MEANA (ESP/BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS) + 3:57	With the Tour de France win last fall and two one-week wins already this year, Tadej POGAČAR (SLO/UAE TEAM EMIRATES) is the best stage racer in cycling right now.	Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) won the maglia ciclamino (points) jersey