Tirreno-Adriatico stage 2 LIVE - Gravel climb to UNESCO World Heritage Site finish location on the menu for the riders
The peloton races 206km with a flatter start in Camaiore to a progressively more challenging final in San Gimignano
Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 - Preview
Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 - Route
Race Situation
Four riders are clear of the peloton but are rapidly losing time.
1km to go the intermediate sprint.
The roads are getting tight, twisty and undulating as they head into the hills now with the back of the peloton having to come to a track stand on multiple occasions already.
5km to the intermediate sprint in Pomarance.
Just a gap of one minute and 45 seconds between the break and the peloton.
Second overall, Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers), spoke to TV before the start this morning... "Maybe for me to wear a sprinters jersey is quite something, maybe the only time in my career, so I will enjoy it. I have won TTs in the past but it was a nice result and we had some nice improvements over the winter.
Bahrain Victorious now also join the teams on the front for Tiberi and Santiago Buitrago. Maybe Pello Bilbao after his solid TT performance.
There is a Moderate Thunderstorm Warning given for the San Gimignano for later this afternoon. The riders will be hoping it stays dry until after the finish as the gravel climb in a storm would be rather hellish.
The time gap dips under two minutes to the break as the riders head over the half way point.
Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe have moved up to very close to the front now in the peloton but Visma-Lease a Bike, Alpecin-Premier Tech and Ineos Grenadiers are being left to work.
100km of racing complete.
Local rider, Alberto Bettiol (XDS-Astana), spoke to TV before the start today: "It isn't a very technical run to the gravel climb, the climb suits Van der Poel, Van Aert but also the guys like (Isaac) Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and (Antonio) Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious).
The time gap takes a big tumble since Steven Kruijswijk (Visma-Lease a Bike) joined the pacing in the peloton. The break now has two minutes 12 seconds of a gap.
Visma-Lease a Bike join Ineos Grenadiers and Alpecin-Premier Tech on the front of the peloton. Could this be for Wout Van Aert and a stage win chance? Or is it more focusing on their GC hope of Matteo Jorgenson?
Considering how little climbing there appears to be on the profile, the riders have an elevation gain of 2300 metres to contend with today. The highest point is the categorised climb of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina.
65km to the intermediate sprint.
Alpecin-Premier Tech return to the front of the peloton to work with Ineos Grenadiers. Mathieu van der Poel will be looking for a stage win today.
Both these week-long races are steeped in tradition, but do they mean anything when linked with the Grand Tours...
The leaning tower of Pisa has it's famous lean due to poor foundations being built on soft sandy soil. The building began in 1173 but, as construction got to the third floor, it began to lean just five years into the build. They tried to compensate by building floors slightly taller one one side to the other. Eventually, major stabilisation work was done as recent as the 1990s to save this famous quirky historic gem.
The time gap to the four man break drops to three minutes 40 seconds as they lose about 50 seconds in 10km.
The riders have a very long period of flat roads now and the pace hasn't really picked up, either. That said, the gap to the breakaway dips back under four minutes.
Magnus Sheffield and his Ineos Grenadiers teammates look to play the numbers game rather than sit and let the race come to them...
It is an overcast but bright day in Tuscany with the temperatures at a very pleasant 17 degrees C.
The riders pass the city of Pisa and it's famous leaning tower.
"It's a really 'interesting' stage. We'll have to be ready for the finish and hit the gravel from the front."
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) is finding happiness in new focuses after taking two from two time trial victories this season...
The peloton is being led by the team of the riders in 1st, 2nd and 4th, Ineos Grenadiers. They have some help, though, from Alpecin-Premier Tech and Visma-Lease a Bike.
The gap has expanded to three minutes and 20 seconds.
All four of the expected breakaway teams are in the break today. Their gap is almost at three minutes on the pack.
The break of four have a gap of 2'54" on the peloton after 8km of racing.
No updates on whether the attackers have got away or not.
British time trial champion, Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep) woke up this morning with 25 UCI points and 500 CHF less than he had yesterday due to a fine that he received for showing his middle finger towards a passing motorbike in yestderday's race...
One non-starter:
Sign on has been completed by the riders as they ready for the start of the second stage and the first road stage of this year's race.
The finish location of San Gimignano is famed for it's 14 amazing towers from the original 72 that stood before. The towers were owned by each family that lived in the town, each family trying to out-do the other with height and decorations. It is also known for it's amazing frescos from the 14th and 15th centuries.
The jerseys:
It is a slow and steady start in terms of difficulty today for the riders with a largely flat beginning before the final third of the stage sees the hills begin and the action points of the first intermediate sprint and KOM sprint of the race.
Buongiorno and welcome to Cyclingnews' live report of stage 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico 2026.
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