On the scene at Tirreno-Adriatico

This year, I made it back to Tirreno-Adriatico for the first time in five years. They’ve changed it up a bit (but just a bit) by starting with an individual time trial instead of the old team time trial.

Jonas Vingegaard was the third rider off the start ramp, looking like an alien in Visma’s crazy new tt helmet.

Mark Cavendish:

John Degenkolb:

Stage winner Juan Ayuso:

Lawson Craddock:

Attila Valter at the finish, showing off the clear-visor, Hungarian national champion version of the new Visma lid:

Tom Pidcock:

Jonathan Milan, third on the stage:

Valentin Madouas in the finishing straight:

Magnus Sheffield:

Tobias Ludvigsson:

Enric Mas:

Georg Steinhauser:

Filippo Ganna lunged for the line, but still came up one second off Ayuso’s winning time.

Ayuso had the podium to himself, picking up every classification jersey on offer.

Stage three started inside the medieval walls of the hilltop town of Volterra.

Stage four finished in a sprint, won by Johnathan Milan ahead of Jasper Philipsen, Corbin Strong, and Biniam Girmay.

Vingegaard won stage five on a solo break, with Ayuso and Jai Hindley finishing over a minute behind him.

I watched stage six from a spot about halfway up the finishing climb of Monte Petrano. At that point, Vingegaard was still with Ayuso and Hindley, who ultimately finished 26 seconds behind him.

Isaac Del Toro, wearing the green climbers’ jersey, was in about fifteenth position when he passed me, but he ended up finishing fourth on the stage.

Jonathan Milan, in the magenta points jersey, led the gruppetto up the climb.

It was fun catching up with Tirreno-Adriatico again. Maybe I’ll do it again next year!