Tirreno-Adriatico: Gaviria wins in Civitanova Marche

Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) held off a fast charging Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) to take victory in Civitanova Marche on the penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) came through on their coattails to take the third spot.

It was a fast and furious finish that didn't always look like it was in the control of the sprinters' teams but Quick-Step Floors maintained a presence in most of the action, ensuring they had a card to play whatever the conclusion.

An attack from Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), which was initially marked by Quick-Step's Bob Jungels, saw Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) and Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors) jump clear with just under eight kilometres to go. Sagan tried to follow but Gaviria was smart enough to get onto his wheel.

The acceleration neutralised Felline and Terpstra's move as the route turned back onto the seafront with less than three kilometres remaining. Quick-Step, with the assistance of fellow Belgian outfit Lotto Soudal, bullied the peloton through the last few twists and turns. The high speed and tight turns caused a split in the bunch with around 15 riders, including Gaviria and Sagan, breaking clear within the final kilometre.

Gaviria still had plenty of support from his teammates and was unleashed by a good lead-out from Matteo Trentin. It looked like perhaps he had got it wrong as Sagan moved right to go around the Colombian but he had the pace to keep the world champion at bay and take the win.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) finished safely in the main bunch to keep his lead in the overall classification. He leads Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) by 50 seconds with Rohan Dennis in third at 1:06 with just a time trial to come.

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How it happened

After two gruelling days over the weekend, the terrain eased up as Tirreno-Adriatico approached its climax. There have not been many chances for the true sprinters in the 2017 edition, but this was expected to be one of those. Stage 6 would bring the peloton 168 kilometres from Ascoli Piceno to Civitanova Marche on the Macerata coast.

Having won on the Terminillo on Saturday, Quintana sat atop the standings in the morning and would be hoping for an easy day out before the concluding time trial on Tuesday.

The rest of the peloton was in much the same mind as the race leader, and they allowed a seven-man move escape almost immediately. There were a few familiar names amongst them with Alan Marangoni (Nippo-vini Fantini), Davide Ballerini, Raffaello Bonusi (Androni Giocattoli), Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF) all making it into the break for the umpteenth time. Simone Andreetta (Androni Giocattoli), Ben Gastauer (AG2R La Mondiale) and Jonas Henttala (Novo Nordisk) completed the make-up of the initial attacking group. Katusha-Alpecin's Pavel Kochetkov was stuck in no man's land for some time before making contact with the seven up front.

Dimension Data assumed the front of the peloton for much of the day, keen to give Cavendish a chance at contesting a sprint, and giving Movistar a bit of a break. Meanwhile, Orica-Scott's bad week continued as Luke Durbridge climbed off early in the day. The team has already lost several riders, including their sprinter Caleb Ewan.

A few riders lighter, the peloton forged on, and after allowing the move to close in on the three-minute mark, they brought it back down to much closer to two minutes. Their progress was halted though when they were forced to wait for several minutes at a level crossing, allowing the breakaway to carry on unhindered.

The peloton was back on its merry way when the race jury decided that they needed to level the playing field and stopped the breakaway less than a kilometre from the top of the solitary classified climb of the day. After a short hiatus, they were given the green light, and Marangoni took the points with no competition.

During the confusion, the advantage had ballooned past five minutes but it was brought back under three by the stoppage on the climb and would carry on tumbling in the second half of the stage. With 35 kilometres to go, Henttala became the first of the eight-man break to falter, and the remaining escapees had less than a minute on the pack, who had the bit between their teeth.

With the second of the intermediate sprints at 14 kilometres to go, the remainder of the breakaway resisted the chase as long as they could. The entry into Civitanova Marche was at times tight and technical, and the peloton was more than happy to leave them out there. Maestri brought them across the finish line for the first time to take the points again at the intermediate sprint. It would not be enough to take the points classification, with Sagan mopping up plenty at the finish.

The peloton continued to slowly but surely eat away at the gap but tired of the pace, Vincenzo Nibali decided to take things into his hands. The Italian put in a big dig, forcing several riders to chase and the peloton to string out. Nibali went again but could not break the elastic. However, his efforts brought back all but two of the breakaway.

Ballerini and Gastauer were the only two holding out, but a counter attack from Felline soon reeled them in. The Italian brought with him Matteo Cattaneo (Androni Giocattoli) and then Terpstra. Behind them, a flurry of action led to Sagan trying to break free with Gaviria.

Aware of the world champion looming behind, Terpstra attacked his break companions, and only the in-form Felline could initially go with him. The attacks were eventually neutralised on the run along the seafront, with Orica-Scott leading the way at just over two kilometres to go, and it would come down to the sprinters after all.

Lotto Soudal drove the race home, forcing a split in the peloton in the final kilometre. They would not reap the rewards though as Gaviria sailed to the win ahead of Sagan. 

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors4:09:31
2Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-HansgroheRow 1 - Cell 2
3Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-SegafredoRow 2 - Cell 2
4Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step FloorsRow 3 - Cell 2
5Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 4 - Cell 2
6Elia Viviani (Ita) Team SkyRow 5 - Cell 2
7Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension DataRow 6 - Cell 2
8Eduard Grosu (Rom) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 7 - Cell 2
9Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJRow 8 - Cell 2
10Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 9 - Cell 2
11Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky0:00:06
12Egan Bernal (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 11 - Cell 2
13Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Katusha-AlpecinRow 12 - Cell 2
14Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La MondialeRow 13 - Cell 2
15Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 14 - Cell 2
16Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar TeamRow 15 - Cell 2
17Rick Zabel (Ger) Katusha-AlpecinRow 16 - Cell 2
18Sacha Modolo (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 17 - Cell 2
19Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 18 - Cell 2
20Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing TeamRow 19 - Cell 2
21Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJRow 20 - Cell 2
22Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 21 - Cell 2
23Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension DataRow 22 - Cell 2
24Andrea Palini (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 23 - Cell 2
25Koen De Kort (Ned) Trek-SegafredoRow 24 - Cell 2
26Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-DrapacRow 25 - Cell 2
27Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team EmiratesRow 26 - Cell 2
28Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-ScottRow 27 - Cell 2
29Georg Preidler (Aut) Team SunwebRow 28 - Cell 2
30Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La MondialeRow 29 - Cell 2
31Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 30 - Cell 2
32Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing TeamRow 31 - Cell 2
33Søren Kragh Andersen (Den) Team SunwebRow 32 - Cell 2
34Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team SunwebRow 33 - Cell 2
35Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-SegafredoRow 34 - Cell 2
36Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-AlpecinRow 35 - Cell 2
37Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-SegafredoRow 36 - Cell 2
38Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step FloorsRow 37 - Cell 2
39Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 38 - Cell 2
40Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Katusha-AlpecinRow 39 - Cell 2
41Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team SkyRow 40 - Cell 2
42Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro TeamRow 41 - Cell 2
43Daniele Bennati (Ita) Movistar TeamRow 42 - Cell 2
44Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar TeamRow 43 - Cell 2
45Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 44 - Cell 2
46Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Pawel Poljanski (Pol) Bora-HansgroheRow 46 - Cell 2
48Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-HansgroheRow 47 - Cell 2
49Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing TeamRow 48 - Cell 2
50Oscar Gatto (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 49 - Cell 2
51Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 50 - Cell 2
52Daniel Moreno (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 51 - Cell 2
53Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJRow 52 - Cell 2
54Mike Teunissen (Ned) Team SunwebRow 53 - Cell 2
55Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La MondialeRow 54 - Cell 2
56Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 55 - Cell 2
57Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 56 - Cell 2
58Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La MondialeRow 57 - Cell 2
59Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 58 - Cell 2
60Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale-DrapacRow 59 - Cell 2
61Marcus Burghardt (Ger) Bora-HansgroheRow 60 - Cell 2
62Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing TeamRow 61 - Cell 2
63Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-DrapacRow 62 - Cell 2
64Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-AlpecinRow 63 - Cell 2
65Simone Velasco (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 64 - Cell 2
66Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick-Step FloorsRow 65 - Cell 2
67Maxime Monfort (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 66 - Cell 2
68Tobias Ludvigsson (Swe) FDJRow 67 - Cell 2
69Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJRow 68 - Cell 2
70Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 69 - Cell 2
71Ramon Sinkeldam (Ned) Team SunwebRow 70 - Cell 2
72Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 71 - Cell 2
73Mikel Landa (Spa) Team Sky0:00:17
74Marco Canola (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 73 - Cell 2
75Andrey Zeits (Kaz) Astana Pro TeamRow 74 - Cell 2
76Rein Taaramäe (Est) Katusha-AlpecinRow 75 - Cell 2
77Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 76 - Cell 2
78Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJRow 77 - Cell 2
79Ángel Vicioso (Spa) Katusha-AlpecinRow 78 - Cell 2
80Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Quick-Step FloorsRow 79 - Cell 2
81Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe0:00:22
82Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 81 - Cell 2
83Niki Terpstra (Ned) Quick-Step FloorsRow 82 - Cell 2
84Marco Marcato (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 83 - Cell 2
85Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-ScottRow 84 - Cell 2
86Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-Scott0:00:42
87Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data0:00:43
88Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 87 - Cell 2
89Steve Morabito (Swi) FDJRow 88 - Cell 2
90David Lozano (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 89 - Cell 2
91Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 90 - Cell 2
92Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 91 - Cell 2
93Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Bahrain-MeridaRow 92 - Cell 2
94Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky0:00:48
95Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky0:00:52
96Javier Moreno (Spa) Bahrain-Merida0:01:06
97Alexandre Geniez (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 96 - Cell 2
98Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Lotto Soudal0:01:28
99Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 98 - Cell 2
100Matej Mohoric (Slo) UAE Team Emirates0:01:38
101Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension DataRow 100 - Cell 2
102Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:01:46
103Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli0:02:06
104Davide Ballerini (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 103 - Cell 2
105Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar TeamRow 104 - Cell 2
106Alexis Gougeard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:02:14
107Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La MondialeRow 106 - Cell 2
108Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 107 - Cell 2
109Stefan Küng (Swi) BMC Racing TeamRow 108 - Cell 2
110Chad Haga (USA) Team Sunweb0:02:58
111Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 110 - Cell 2
112Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 111 - Cell 2
113Matvey Mamykin (Rus) Katusha-AlpecinRow 112 - Cell 2
114Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar TeamRow 113 - Cell 2
115William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ0:03:12
116Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 115 - Cell 2
117Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo NordiskRow 116 - Cell 2
118Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Bora-HansgroheRow 117 - Cell 2
119Alan Marangoni (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 118 - Cell 2
120Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky0:04:03
121Max Walscheid (Ger) Team SunwebRow 120 - Cell 2
122Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) Bora-HansgroheRow 121 - Cell 2
123Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:05:11
124Moreno Moser (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 123 - Cell 2
125Andrey Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro TeamRow 124 - Cell 2
126Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick-Step FloorsRow 125 - Cell 2
127Julien Vermote (Bel) Quick-Step FloorsRow 126 - Cell 2
128Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 127 - Cell 2
129Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo NordiskRow 128 - Cell 2
130Lars Boom (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 129 - Cell 2
131Albert Timmer (Ned) Team SunwebRow 130 - Cell 2
132Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 131 - Cell 2
133Ryan Mullen (Irl) Cannondale-DrapacRow 132 - Cell 2
134Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension DataRow 133 - Cell 2
135Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension DataRow 134 - Cell 2
136Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale-DrapacRow 135 - Cell 2
137Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension DataRow 136 - Cell 2
138Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro TeamRow 137 - Cell 2
139Diego Rosa (Ita) Team SkyRow 138 - Cell 2
140Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale-DrapacRow 139 - Cell 2
141Marko Kump (Slo) UAE Team EmiratesRow 140 - Cell 2
142Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) UAE Team EmiratesRow 141 - Cell 2
143Kohei Uchima (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 142 - Cell 2
144Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 143 - Cell 2
145Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-HansgroheRow 144 - Cell 2
146Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 145 - Cell 2
147Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 146 - Cell 2
148Luca Wackermann (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 147 - Cell 2
149Raffaello Bonusi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 148 - Cell 2
150Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 149 - Cell 2
151Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team0:07:13
152Manuele Boaro (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:08:20
153Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 152 - Cell 2
154Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension DataRow 153 - Cell 2
155Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo NordiskRow 154 - Cell 2
156Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 155 - Cell 2
157Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-SegafredoRow 156 - Cell 2
158Matthias Brändle (Aut) Trek-SegafredoRow 157 - Cell 2
159Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Cannondale-DrapacRow 158 - Cell 2
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Stage 6 Points
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors12pts
2Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe10Row 1 - Cell 3
3Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF10Row 2 - Cell 3
4Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo8Row 3 - Cell 3
5Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors7Row 4 - Cell 3
6Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal6Row 5 - Cell 3
7Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky5Row 6 - Cell 3
8Scott Thwaites (GBr) Dimension Data4Row 7 - Cell 3
9Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin4Row 8 - Cell 3
10Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale4Row 9 - Cell 3
11Eduard Grosu (Rom) Nippo - Vini Fantini3Row 10 - Cell 3
12Alan Marangoni (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini3Row 11 - Cell 3
13Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ2Row 12 - Cell 3
14Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal1Row 13 - Cell 3
15Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF1Row 14 - Cell 3
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KOM 1 - Macerata 84.8km
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResultHeader Cell - Column 3
1Alan Marangoni (Ita) Nippo - Vini Fantini5pts
2Davide Ballerini (Ita) Androni Giocattoli3Row 1 - Cell 3
3Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale2Row 2 - Cell 3
4Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Katusha-Alpecin1Row 3 - Cell 3
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Teams Classification
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Quick-Step Floors12:28:39
2Lotto SoudalRow 1 - Cell 2
3Team Sky0:00:06
4Trek-SegafredoRow 3 - Cell 2
5FDJRow 4 - Cell 2
6Bora-HansgroheRow 5 - Cell 2
7Team UAE Emirates0:00:12
8Katusha-AlpecinRow 7 - Cell 2
9Movistar TeamRow 8 - Cell 2
10Team LottoNl-JumboRow 9 - Cell 2
11Team SunwebRow 10 - Cell 2
12BMC Racing TeamRow 11 - Cell 2
13AG2R La MondialeRow 12 - Cell 2
14Androni Sidermec BottecchiaRow 13 - Cell 2
15Astana Pro TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Cannondale-DrapacRow 15 - Cell 2
17Bahrain-MeridaRow 16 - Cell 2
18Dimension Data0:00:43
19Nippo - Vini Fantini0:00:54
20Orica-Scott0:01:04
21Bardiani CSF0:04:00
22Team Novo Nordisk0:09:00
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General Classification after stage 6
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar Team25:44:28
2Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ0:00:50
3Rohan Dennis (Aus) BMC Racing Team0:01:06
4Primoz Roglic (Slo) Team LottoNl-Jumbo0:01:15
5Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Team Sunweb0:01:19
6Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky0:01:23
7Rigoberto Uran (Col) Cannondale-Drapac0:01:30
8Jonathan Castroviejo (Spa) Movistar Team0:01:32
9Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo0:01:37
10Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha-Alpecin0:01:59
11Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale0:02:03
12Daniel Moreno (Spa) Movistar Team0:02:17
13Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:02:19
14Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team0:02:36
15Egan Bernal (Col) Androni Giocattoli0:02:40
16Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step Floors0:02:56
17Rui Costa (Por) UAE Team Emirates0:03:09
18Luis León Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team0:03:32
19Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) FDJRow 18 - Cell 2
20Robert Gesink (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo0:03:39
21Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team0:03:42
22Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team0:03:52
23Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe0:04:37