Tirreno-Adriatico preview: A full Italian menu of racing

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Nibali, Valverde and others to flex their muscles ahead of Milan-San Remo and the Giro d'Italia

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Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) tries the trident out for size.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)

This year’s Tirreno-Adriatico looks set to be a classic edition of the ‘Race of the Two Seas’, with something for everyone during the seven days of racing between Lido di Camaiore on the Tyrrhenian coast and San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic coast.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Johan Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge) and Tejay van Garderen (BMC) are expected to fight for victory and the winner’s trident trophy, while the Classics stars and sprinters will use the tough race through the Italian Apennines to polish their form before Milan-San Remo and other spring races.

A stage win is a huge boost to moral for any rider focused on Milan-San Remo and a psychological blow on their rivals.

The race route in detail

The overall contenders

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Stephen Farrand
Stephen Farrand
Editor-at-large

Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).