Good morning, and welcome to Cyclingnews' live race centre for stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico. It's the penultimate stage of the race - an undulating 168km journey from Ascoli Piceno to Civitanova Marche, with a finishing circuit that packs a punch. A stiff climb lasting almost three kilometres precedes a flat 4km run to the line and should make for a finely-poised affair. Peter Sagan, winner of two stages already here, must be licking his lips.
The riders have signed on and are just lining up for the roll-out, so we'll be underway very shortly.
Ready to go
Photo: @TirrenAdriatico
The riders are currently making their way through the neutralised section towards kilometre-zero.
Race leader Nairo Quintana and points classification leader Peter Sagan ahead of the roll-out
Photo: @TirrenAdriatico
And they're off!
The flag drops and the race gets underway. Who'll be the first on the attack?
A group of seven is on the move
Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale), Davide Ballerini, Raffaello Bonusi (Androni-Giocattoli), Simone Andreetta, Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF), Alan Marangoni (Nippo-Vini Fantini), and Jonas Henttala (Novo Nordisk).
This break looks good, as the peloton allows them to open up over a minute. There's one rider who missed the boat and is trying to bridge across.
Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha-Alpecin) is the man in the middle, but not for long, as he manages to make the junction with around 10km covered.
The eight in the break:
Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale)
Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha-Alpecin)
Davide Ballerini (Androni-Giocattoli)
Raffaello Bonusi (Androni-Giocattoli)
Simone Andreetta (Bardiani-CSF)
Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF)
Alan Marangoni (Nippo-Vini Fantini)
Joonas Henttala (Novo Nordisk)
The gap back to the peloton currently stands at 3 minutes, but it continues to increase.
As the race settles into a situation that is likely to remain for most of the day, we bring you some breaking news. Chris Froome, who has caused a stir with his refusal to join his Sky teammates in publicly backing Dave Brailsford, has broken his silence with a statement in which he says "Without Dave B there is no Team Sky".
It's an interesting statement from the three-time Tour de France champion, and you can read it in full here:
The breakaway's advance is stifled slightly as Dimension Data appear on the front of the bunch. Did they want to get a man in the break today? They have a couple of cards to play for the stage win today. Mark Cavendish is an obvious candidate for the sprint and is a past winner of Milan-San Remo, which features a late climb, while Edvald Boasson Hagen is another option should those late ramps prove selective.
145km remaining from 168km
2:45 is the latest time check with around 25km covered.
Here's the view from the Novo Nordisk team car, with the diabetes team managing to put Joonas Henttala in the break.
#Tirreno @luke_durbridge1 tried to start today's stage, but after an hour of racing has also been forced out due to sickness. Get well soon!
The Australian squad is down to just three riders as Durbridge climbs off, with Roman Kreuziger also succumbing to sickness overnight, and Adam Yates pulling out before that with fever. Roger Kluge was also ill and pulled out on the second day, while the team's sprinter Caleb Ewan crashed out of the race on the same stage. Ewan was full of confidence after his Abu Dhabi win, while Yates was sitting second overall, so Orica's considerable hopes have taken a battering.
130km remaining from 168km
We're almost 40km in but the gap is staying stable at around 2:45. Breakaways are usually granted a touch more freedom than this.
117km remaining from 168km
The route dips gently downhill now for a long stretch ahead of the only categorised climb on the parcours - the final categorised climb of the race.
We should tell you about a minor alteration to today's route.
The riders were originally set to climb to the town of Macerata near the midway point, but 'the condition of some roads' has caused organisers to re-route up to Pollenza instead. It's a slightly higher and longer climb, though nothing to seriously alter the complexion of the race. Full story can be found here.
It's a Belgian alliance in the peloton at the moment, with Lotto Soudal and Quick-Step Floors doing the heavy lifting. Jens Debuscherre could pack a fast finish from a reduced group for Lotto, while in Fernando Gaviria, Quick-Step have a bona fide favourite.
96km remaining from 168km
The breakaway riders take on a bit of food and Kochetkov smiles and waves to the camera. It's nice and relaxed out there, with the gap coming down to 2:15.
A reminder of the overall standings heading into today's stage.
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 21:34:51 2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ 0:00:50 3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:06 4 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:15 5 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:19 6 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:23 7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:30 8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:32 9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:37 10 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin 0:01:59
#Tirreno we're into the final 100km & the gap to the breakaway is sitting at 2'17". The peloton hasn't given the group a lot of room today.
A mixture of teams working on the front at the moment with Dimension Data at the head, followed by Lotto Soudal and Quick-Step. Movistar getting a lot of help from the sprinters' teams.
86km remaining from 168km
The peloton is forced to stop at a level crossing. There is no Paris-Roubaix diving under the barriers as the riders are pulled up to a halt at the barrier. The breakaway made it through and the gap is obviously going up very quickly.
Anyone have a picnic? The peloton is still waiting for the train to go by so they're enjoying a lengthy rest.
The gap has now gone up to 5:22 as the peloton resumes the racing. The officials weren't quite ready to go and had to rush back to their vehicles with the peloton eager to get going after a three-minute hiatus.
Italian television reporting that the break may be held up at some point for three minutes in order to off-set the time the peloton had to wait. The leaders have just passed the halfway point and are making their way up the KOM.
Race radio has just confirmed that the break will be made to wait.
The judges have decided to make them stop just 500 metres from the top of the KOM. A strange decision. A little later in the course would have made more sense.
It took a while to make them stop. The leaders were riding slowly before a few finally stopped. One of the Bardiani riders tried to continue but was pulled up by another of the motorbikes.
The riders are off again and the KOM is in sight.
Marangoni takes the full points at the top of the climb and should be wearing the mountains jersey tomorrow.
#Tirreno A reminder of the break; Andreetta, Ballerini, Bonusi, Gastauer, Henttala, Kochetkov, Maestri and Marangoni.
A small crash for Diego Rosa. He looks ok and he's back on his way. After the brief stoppages earlier, the gap is now 2:49.
Judging by the tears on his shorts, it looks like Rosa came down on his backside. He is back in the bunch though.
Unlike most of last week, we've only got one race today after Paris-Nice reached its conclusion on Sunday. Yet again, it was a dramatic ending to the Race to the Sun with Alberto Contador going on the attack to try and win the race on the final day. He was much closer this time out but still missed victory by just two seconds. Read the full story here.
67km remaining from 168km
The gap is back to near where it was when we had that stoppage for the train. The leaders have just 2:12 on the bunch, which is still being led by Jay Robert Thomson of Dimension Data.
The riders come over one of a number of small kicks. Calm has been restored after that level crossing chaos, with the peloton setting a relaxed rhythm.
Dimension Data put Jay Thomson on the front, then it's Lotto Soudal's Bart de Clercq, followed by Quick-Step's Julien Vermote. Behind them there are a few Movistar jerseys - there to keep race leader Nairo Quintana safe and sound.
60km remaining from 168km
With 60 to go, the gap is down to 1:45.
We've got a first photo of the peloton stopped at the level crossing earlier
And here are the breakaway riders, and their team bosses, after being ordered to stop near the top of the climb.
53km remaining from 168km
1:20 is the gap now.
The breakaway riders are on the approach to the first intermediate sprint, and Kochetkov decides to clip off the front. Bardiani shut it down but the Italian's in that group seem a bit nonplussed as to what the Russian is up to.
Mirco Maestri has a chance to win the points classification at Tirreno-Adriatico. He sits second, on 30 points - two behind Peter Sagan. If he wins the two intermediate sprints, and Sagan finishes off the podium on the stage, he'll have it.
And Maestri clips off the front of the group to take maximum points. No one tries to spoil his party by putting up a fight.
Kochetkov may have ruffled some feathers in that group with that increase in pace on the drag towards that sprint, but as a result the gap back to the peloton has increased to 1:45.
Unfortunately for Henttala, the upping of the tempo has proved costly, and the Novo Nordisk rider has been dropped. It's downhill at the moment, so let's see if he can get back on.
This finale does bear some similarity to Milan-San Remo, and it has been revealed that Julian Alaphilippe, so impressive at Paris-Nice last week, will make his debut at La Primavera this weekend. Here's the story.
38km remaining from 168km
The peloton continues its advance and the breakaway riders haul themselves over another short climb with a lead of 1:05.
36km remaining from 168km
45 seconds now. This is worrying for Maestri, as this could well come back together before he gets the chance to bag the points at the second intermediate sprint.
That sprint comes with 15km remaining.
Peter Sagan is off the back of the bunch at the moment, having seemingly suffered a mechanical. He has teammates with him to help him through the cars.
Gastauer picks things up in the break. They really need to put in a shift now to keep at bay a peloton that is gaining momentum.
Sky put a rider on the front now. They have Elia Viviani for the sprint if he can survive the climb. Quick-Step have men up there just behind.
Here's a closer look at the 15km finishing circuit.
As you can see, it's a climb of around 2.5km, with some stiff gradients. Then a run downhill and just under 4 flat kilometres. If the climb doesn't cause too much damage it will certainly drain the legs.
26km remaining from 168km
The seven riders in the break (Henttala never made it back) are working well together now and are putting in a real shift to hold this at 45 seconds.
25km remaining from 168km
Quick-Step drill it on the front of the bunch. It's still Julien Vermote, arms stretched out as if his bike is a size too big for him, who's doing the work.
Dimension Data come to the fore in numbers now, while Lotto come back up.
21km remaining from 168km
The intermediate sprint point is the finish line, which the riders are crossing to begin the finishing circuit. So we're just 6km away, and with 37 seconds, it's looking good for Maestri.
Movistar come to the front now, the GC teams making their presence felt as they look to keep their leaders well positioned.
The break heads for the line and the intermediate sprint, and of course it's Bardiani who set up Maestri.
Maestri rolls through to take five more points. He's in the virtual lead of the points classification but is now hoping Sagan doesn't place in the sprint for the stage win.
14km remaining from 168km
Maestri's work for the day is done. Him and his teammate Simone Andreetta sit up and let the other five members of the break get on with it.
13km remaining from 168km
30 seconds is the gap, now. A reminder of the men left in the break:
Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale) Pavel Kochetkov (Katusha-Alpecin) Davide Ballerini (Androni-Giocattoli) Raffaello Bonusi (Androni-Giocattoli) Alan Marangoni (Nippo-Vini Fantini)
The climb will begin with just over 9km to go. There's a real fight for position here, with a number of pinch points on the approach as the peloton comes through town.
11km remaining from 168km
The breakaway riders are hanging onto their 30-second lead, but the peloton will fly up this climb.
10km remaining from 168km
Bonusi sits up, so just four up front now.
10km remaining from 168km
Alex Dowsett leads the bunch towards the climb and the gap is down to 20 seconds.
9km remaining from 168km
The riders hit the climb. There are some stiff gradients early on but mostly between 4-5 per cent.
Nibali attacks!
Nibali, who has been seen attacking on the Poggio in Milan-San Remo before, has some fun with the sprinters' teams. He gets a small gap but others ride over to him, and the peloton stretches out.
8km remaining from 168km
Nibali goes again and is tracked by Jungels.
Jungels is just marking Nibali, in the interests of QuickStep's sprinter, Gaviria. They're catching the breakaway members.
Fabio Felline attacks now.
Felline has won the Trofeo Laigueglia, and is a real threat on hilly courses.
Terpstra attacks!
Mattia Cattaneo has gone with Felline, and they've joined Gastauer at the head of affairs. Terpstra has made the bridge.
6km remaining from 168km
Peter Sagan attacks!
The world champion senses that this climb is doing damage, and he takes off over the top.
5km remaining from 168km
Onto the descent and Terpstra attacks off the front, looking to go solo.
Felline and Cataneo try to get back to Terpstra, while others track Sagan, with the rest of the bunch lined out behind the world champ
4km remaining from 168km
Felline gets up to Terpstra, and they're about to hit the flat.
A UAE rider comes up to the front now and tries to attack Terpstra
3km remaining from 168km
But he crashes! Slips out on a bend. Nightmare.
Felline, Terpstra, Cattaneo up front, but they've only got a very small gap.
2km remaining from 168km
Orica work for Mezgec, Lotto prominent, too.
2km remaining from 168km
All together. The catch is made. We're heading for the sprint.
1km remaining from 168km
Orica on the front with two men. How much damage will that climb have done to the legs?
1km remaining from 168km
Flamme rouge!
One Orica leads through the final bends.
Some gaps in the bunch. Lotto look good at the front.
Lotto Soudal lead it out. Roelandts. They're going for Debuscherre.
Sagan is there
Gaviria opens it up...
Fernando Gaviria wins stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico
Sagan comes through and runs the Colombian close, but the world champ has to settle for second place.
Jasper Stuyven bags third place. Trentin fourth, then Debuscherre and VIviani.
Cavendish was badly positioned and absent from the top 10. Others in the same boat, too, as those pinch points made for a messy final few hundred metres. Being near the front was crucial.
Top 10
1 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors 4:09:31 2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe 3 Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo 4 Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors 5 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal 6 Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 7 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data 8 Eduard Grosu (Rom) Nippo - Vini Fantini 9 Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ 10 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal
"This was the first real sprint stage for us, because on the second stage we made an error and there was a crash, but today everything went well for us," says Gaviria.
"It's always a battle when you're up against Sagan, but I was feeling good and I'm very happy to be able to win today."
"This was the first real sprint stage for us, because on the second stage we made an error and there was a crash, but today everything went well for us," says Gaviria.
"It's always a challenge when you're up against Sagan, but I was feeling good and I'm very happy to be able to win today."
General classification after stage 6
1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team 1:44:28 2 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ 0:00:50 3 Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team 0:01:06 4 Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo 0:01:15 5 Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb 0:01:19 6 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky 0:01:23 7 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac 0:01:30 8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team 0:01:32 9 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:37 10 Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin 0:01:59
So, just one stage remains in this Tirreno-Adriatico, and it's a time trial. Short, flat, fast; it will decide the general classification. Nairo Quintana surely has enough of a buffer to win the race, but the podium places are far from settled.
Sagan heads to the podium to collect the red jersey, and he will finish the race as the winner of the points classification. Mirco Maestri gave it a good go and did all he could, but the odds of Sagan finishing outside the top three on a stage such as this were always going to be slim.
Thanks for your company today. We'll be back tomorrow with full live coverage of the final-day time trial, so do join us again then. In the meantime, we'll have all the news and reaction from the race, so keep an eye on cyclingnews.com. I'll leave you with our full report:
Becky Storrie will kick off the women's time trial at 10:39 CET, Marco Brenner is the first rider off the starting ramp in the men's time trial at 14:57 CET
