Who can tame Isaac Del Toro in the typical and brutally tough Tirreno stage?

Looking at the route of Tirreno-Adriatico, there are no truly tough climbs, but that doesn’t mean the riders will get off easy. On the contrary: the fifth stage features nearly 4,000 meters of elevation, with many steep ascents along the way. That promises plenty of action. WielerFlits looks ahead!

Route

Granted, the first days of Tirreno-Adriatico already include some tricky hilly stages, but it’s on day five on which the real selection will be made. This stage through the Marche region can be dubbed a mini-Liège-Bastogne-Liège, with a whopping 3,900 meters of climbing and countless sharp inclines. After a relatively flat build-up, some punchy climbs come thick and fast within a short period.

However, this is just child’s play compared to what’s next on the menu. After nearly ninety kilometers, the Monte delle Cesane (7.2 km at 7%) looms, followed quickly by the wall of Montefeldno (800 meters at 11.3%), the climb to the sanctuary of San Pietro e Paolo (2.4 km at 6.5%), the Monte della Mattera (6.5 km at 5%), and—after the descent—a first passage through the finish town Mombaroccio.

At that point, two local circuits of 21.6 kilometers each follow near Mombaroccio, with one key passage: the climb to the sanctuary of Beato Sante (4.2 km at 6.2%). On the slopes of this climb (with ramps up to 9%), the stage will be decided, knowing that the summit is just two kilometers from the finish line.

Classifications

Favorites

The first question we have to ask: will Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert be contenders for the stage win on Friday? It’s complicated. Van der Poel himself described the fourth stage— which he ultimately won— as “perhaps his last chance” at victory. For the Dutchman, the stage with nearly 4,000 meters of climbing seems a bit too tough. Although, you never know with Van der Poel.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech leader often defies cycling conventions and has risen above himself in similar efforts before. Just think back to his heroic win at Strade Bianche, his third place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège ('24), or his performance at the World Championships in Zurich. In short, we shouldn’t write off Van der Poel prematurely.

We also must not underestimate Wout van Aert, if only because of his past results and intrinsic qualities. But the Belgian will have to be in top form, because Isaac Del Toro gets a route on Friday that seems tailor-made for him. The Mexican is strong, explosively powerful, and also possesses a very decent sprint. Mark him down as a top favorite for the stage win.

The competition, however, shouldn’t be underestimated. In the gravel stage won by Van der Poel, Giulio Pellizzari impressed, and the young GC leader of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe can also shine on many steep climbs. Or will his older teammate Primoz Roglic strike first? The Slovenian is keeping a low profile for now but still sits in a very strong position in the GC.

In the provisional top 10, we also see the names of Matteo Jorgenson, Ben Healy, and Santiago Buitrago. These riders should definitely be noted on the road to Mombaroccio. We also expect a lot from the Italian punchy climber Giulio Ciccone, Richard Carapaz, Tobias Halland Johannessen, and Michael Storer. Finally, we note the names Julian Alaphilippe, Alessandro Pinarello, and Thymen Arensman.

Weather and TV

Overall, Friday promises excellent racing weather in Tirreno-Adriatico. There will be some cloud cover, but the sun will also make regular appearances and the chance of rain is low. Temperatures will rise to around 14 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The wind (3 Beaufort) will come from the north-northeast.