Do Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert clash in tough Tirreno stage over gravel roads?
Looking at the lineup of Tirreno-Adriatico, we see plenty of puncheurs. That’s no surprise, as a few explosive hill stages are on the menu in the coming days. Tuesday is the first real test. Could it be a day for Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert? WielerFlits looks ahead!
Route
On day one, the time trialists took center stage, but in stage two the puncheurs can let loose to their heart’s content. In the first roughly 120 kilometers, it doesn’t yet look like a day for attacks, and there’s little to report there, but in the final 75 kilometers it goes up and down almost continuously. Initially, the gradients are modest, but as the stage progresses, the climbs become longer and above all steeper.
The ascent to Castelnuovo Val di Cecna (with peaks up to 9%) and the subsequent uncategorized obstacles are likely warm-ups for the challenging finale, which starts about eight kilometers from the finish.
The peloton then faces a sloped gravel section of 1.4 kilometers, followed by a tough final climb (1.2 km at 7.1%) over the narrow cobblestone streets of the medieval center of San Gimignano.
Classifications
Favorites
Stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico is a tough one to predict. Looking at the profile, it seems like a prime day for the punchers in the peloton. However, zooming in further reveals the finale is very demanding, with some steep stretches. This scenario plays more into the hands of the stronger climbers in the group.
Still, we definitely expect something from Mathieu van der Poel. The leader of Alpecin-Premier Tech is here primarily to sharpen his form for the truly important spring classics, but he won’t let a potential stage win slip away. A strong Van der Poel should be able to play a significant role in the finale, and the challenging gravel section suits the all-rounder and balance artist perfectly.
However, Van der Poel must contend with some strong opponents. First and foremost, there’s his eternal rival Wout van Aert, who has really set his sights on this stage. He said as much after the opening time trial in Lido di Camaiore. “Tuesday immediately brings a great stage, with the gravel sections at the end it will be tough. I’m looking forward to it. During the reconnaissance, the gravel was very loose; I wonder if they’ll do anything about that.”
Another rider comfortable on gravel roads is Isaac Del Toro. The Mexican top favorite for the overall victory finished third in last Saturday’s Strade Bianche, and with his explosiveness and punch uphill, he is certainly a contender for the stage win. His Swiss teammate Jan Christen (sixth in Strade Bianche) has also surely marked this stage on his calendar.
In such an explosive finale, watch out also for two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Benoît Cosnefroy (UAE Emirates XRG), Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM), Andrea Vendrame (Jayco AlUla), Alberto Bettiol (XDS Astana), and Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarché). Or perhaps Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) will unleash one of his famous solo attacks.
Additionally, we definitely consider Primoz Roglic, Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Roger Adrìa, Javier Romo (Movistar), and Andreas Kron (Uno-X Mobility). And what can GC leader Filippo Ganna do?
Weather
On Tuesday, showers are possible over the route (with about a 25% chance of precipitation) toward San Gimignano, but the sun will also shine at times. Temperatures will reach around 15 degrees Celsius. The wind will play no significant role, as it is mostly absent, especially in the finale.
