Tirreno-Adriatico 2019: Stage 6

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January 1 - March 19, Matelica, Italy, Road - WorldTour

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Live coverage of the penultimate stage of the 2019 Tirreno-Adriatico

 

Hello there. It's the penultimate stage of Tirreno-Adriatico and, before the general classification is decided in tomorrow's time trial, today we have a rolling stage from Matelica to Jesi that should still come down to a bunch sprint. 

In the opening kilometres, a seven-man breakaway has gone clear. 

The breakaway riders are:

180km remaining from 195km

Here's the stage profile. Funnily enough, the Valico di Pietra Rossa is, at 660 metres, the highest point of this year's race. The sprinters may well struggle there, and there's some lumpy terrain afterwards, but the final 50km are flat. The stage will end with three laps of a 12.6km finishing circuit in Jesi.

A first shot of the break from the race organisers

If, like me, you weren't able to watch much cycling over the weekend, now's the time to catch up on the key developments at Tirreno-Adriatico. 

155km remaining from 195km

The start of the climb up Valico di Pietra Rossa is just around the corner. 

The riders covered 41.6km in the first hour, so the pace is reasonably swift. 

150km remaining from 195km

Some significant news this morning, in that Total is set to become the new title sponsor of the Direct Energie team and it could happen as early as next month, according to French newspaper L'Equipe. Total are one of the world's six 'Big Oil' companies and recently acquired the Direct Energie company. Could it lead to an increased budget and WorldTour status for Jean-René Bernaudeau's team? Full details here. 

Bora-Hansgrohe and Deceuninck-QuickStep are the teams dictating the pace in the peloton. 

The pace has settled on the climb and the breakaway riders are gaining ground once more. 2:20 is the gap now.

142km remaining from 195km

The peloton comes over the top of the climb 2:38 in arrears. 

The riders are hurtling downhill at the moment but they'll soon be heading back uphill.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks in anti-doping, with the first tests for tramadol carried out at Paris-Nice and the uncovering of a blood doping ring in Germany and Austria, which has already drawn confessions from two pro cyclists. 

More news this morning in that contract talks between Vincenzo Nibali and Bahrain-Merida have stalled. 

Back in the race, with 75km on the clock the gap between the seven escapees and the peloton has stabilised at 2:30. The riders have come over the uncategorised climb at Apiro and are heading mostly downhill for the next 15km. 

This is how the general classification stands, by the way. It's unlikely that will change today. 

The big question tomorrow will be whether 25 seconds will be enough for Yates, with Roglic waiting in the wings. The Mitchelton-Scott rider doesn't sound too confident, saying: "In my mind, it's not enough."

108km remaining from 195km

A shot of the peloton from the race organisers.

100km remaining from 195km

Lunch time. The breakaway riders hit the feed zone.

94km remaining from 195km

Here's a shot of the finish line

Lunch has been digested and the pace is back up in the peloton. Still it's QuickStep and Bora leading the way ahead of Yates and his Mitchelton-Scott teammates. It's bunched up behind that first string of 15 riders. 

The jackets are coming on. It's a cold miserable day out there. 

In case you missed it, Egan Bernal wrapped up overall victory at Paris-Nice yesterday. Here's his reaction: 

67km remaining from 195km

— Tirreno Adriatico (@TirrenAdriatico) March 18, 2019

60km remaining from 195km

Here are the standings in the points classification

Maestri does indeed take maximum points, and none of his breakaway companions is minded to try and prevent that from happening. So not much of a sprint, really, just Maestri doing an extended turn on the front. 

That gives Maestri five more points, moving him to second on 26, one point behind Yates. The second intermediate sprint is coming up in around 30km and should see Maestri take the jersey with another five points. 

50km remaining from 195km

Details of the opening stages of the 2020 Tour de France have been unveiled. The Grand Départ will be in Nice, and the first stage offers a chance for the sprinters while the second takes the Tour for an early foray into the hills that are usually used to decide Paris-Nice. Full story here. 

38km remaining from 195km

They cross the line for the first of three laps of the 12.6km circuit. 

The peloton comes across the line 1:55 in arrears. 

Still the same situation in the peloton, with Bora, QuickStep, and UAE all posting representatives on the front in order to keep this chase under control. Don't think I've seen any other team take a turn. 

31km remaining from 195km

29km remaining from 195km

Peter Sagan is taking no chances, riding in sixth position in the single file line at the head of the peloton. Behind him it's more bunched up. 

The breakaway riders hit the flamme rouge and Maestri takes a look around to see if anyone is thinking of spoiling his fun. 

Maestri comes to the front with a couple of hundred metres to go and makes sure of it, though no one mounts a serious challenge. 

Maestri, therefore, will take the orange points jersey on this afternoon's podium. He sits on 31 points, four ahead of Yates, with Fuglsang and Roglic both on 22. Provided none of those riders podium in tomorrow's time trial, Maestri will win the points classification outright. 

The peloton comes across the line 1:35 down. 

23km remaining from 195km

Rojas and Ballerini are pushing on as Van Hoecke scrambles to bridge the gap. It looks like the other four are out of the picture now. 

The peloton strings out as the pace is lifted in response to the attacks out front. The gap is still 1:30. 

19km remaining from 195km

17km remaining from 195km

16km remaining from 195km

Maestri is absorbed next, and now Boev sits up and accepts his day is done. 

That leaves Ballerini and Rojas out front, with Van Hoecke still chasing on his own. 

14km remaining from 195km

Van Hoecke is caught. Two left out front. 

Ballerini and Rojas come onto the home straight for the penultimate time. Ballerini gestures Rojas through for a turn and eventually he obliges. 

The gap is falling fast now. It's down to 43 seconds as they approach the line. 

12km remaining from 195km

— Tirreno Adriatico (@TirrenAdriatico) March 18, 2019

10km remaining from 195km

Puncture for Rob Power (Sunweb).

Bora-Hansgrohe lead the way. For those just tuning in, it's been them, QuickStep, and UAE doing all the work today. They have, respectively, Sagan, Viviani, and Gaviria, who are the big three favourites here. 

How about a turn from Vincenzo Nibali? The two-time Tirreno champion does his bit in the interests of Bahrain-Merida's sprinter Phil Bauhaus. 

7km remaining from 195km

Lampaert takes it up again as the peloton strings out. 

5km remaining from 195km

It's Asgreen on the front for QuickStep, arms folded over his bars. They have Michael Morkov who has moved up and is ready to lead out Viviani. 

Rojas takes a look over his shoulder, sees the peloton on his tail, and sits up, while Ballerini gets his head down and gives it once last roll of the dice. 

3km remaining from 195km

3km remaining from 195km

Bora lead into the final 3km. 

And now Jumbo-Visma move up. Tony Martin comes to the fore for them. 

Big shoulder barge tussle between Mohoric and an Israel Academy rider.

2km remaining from 195km

Sagan is second wheel already, behind Stybar for QuickStep. 

Sagan is the one interruption in what is one big QuickStep train.

Morkov hits the front now. Final kilometre. 

Here we go. QuickStep take it up but it's not for Viviani...

Alaphilippe sprinting for QuickStep, and takes it!

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) wins stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico. 

Wow. We knew the finishing straight was ever so slightly uphill, but we didn't see that coming...

Davide Cimolai (Israel Cycling Academy) was second with an impressive sprint. 

Top 10

General classification after stage 6

"I'm not a sprinter, no," insists Alaphilippe, "but I know I can do a good sprint, especially after some hard days. 

First winner's shot is in...

Viviani went to congratulate both Alaphilippe and Richeze, but it will be interesting to hear his take on that. He appeared to have the finishing speed to have won that, had QuickStep performed a traditional lead-out. It looked like a masterstroke that caught the rest of the field off-guard, but just how planned was that from Lefevere's men?

Alaphilippe just keeps on winning. It almost seems bizarre to think back to the end of 2017 when the frustrated Frenchman wondered when he'd make his true breakthrough. Little did he know it was just around the corner. He had won six races up until that point. In just over 12 months since, he has collected 18!

Here's our report page, where you can find a write-up of the action, along with results and photos.

This is what lies ahead tomorrow. A 21.5km time trial to decide the 2019 Tirreno-Adriatico. 

Can Yates hang on for the overall title? Find out tomorrow. We'll be back right here for full live coverage. In the meantime, keep an eye on Cyclingnews for all the latest from the race, including reaction from Viviani, Alaphilippe, and Sagan. 

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