As it happened: Tirreno-Adriatico stage 7

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Tirreno-Adriatico for the final stage 7!

The final stage of the 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico is set to get underway with the GC already effectively wrapped up. Jonas Vingegaard stamped his authority on the race with two consecutive mountain stage wins, giving him a lead of 1-24 over Juan Ayuso in second and 1-52 over Hindley in third, ahead of a stage lacking the parcours for GC attacks.

That’s not to say that today’s stage will be lacking in excitement. It looks to have a finely balanced parcours, which could see a strong breakaway go clear in the early, hilly part of the route and make it to the finish to contest the spoils, as equally as everything could come back together for a bunch sprint.

The action is set to kick off in about half an hour’s time, and we can expect plenty of attacks from out the gate, as breakaway specialists sniff an opportunity of a stage win. It’s an uphill start, too, which should aid the stronger climbers who try to get clear.

Looking back to reaction from yesterday’s stage, everyone was resigned to not being able to do anything to stop Vingegaard. By finishing second behind him, Ayuso described himself as ‘the first human in the race’ - a phrasing we hear more and more these days in races involving one of cycling’s Big Six.

Ben O’Connor, who remained fifth on the GC, was in a similarly resigned move. “It was incredible what Jonas did,’’ he told us yesterday, regarding Vingegaard’s attack on Friday’s mountain stage. ‘I did the best I could, I tried to follow for a while but it was a useless attempt.’

As for Vingegaard himself, he was, unsurprisingly, happy with how his week has gone, and explained that he feels more eager for success in these earlier season races, rather than just the Tour de France - even getting his Visma-Lease a Bike teammates to chase down the break yesterday, in order to target the stage win on top of the GC.

Not long now until the official start - the riders are currently in the neutralised zone, which is 6km today.

A couple of non-starters to report: Mikkel Honoré, who was injured in a crash yesterday, and Daniel Martínez, who, despite doing sterling work for Jai Hindley at the front of the peloton yesterday on the final climb, has a knee problem.

154KM TO GO

The neutralised zone has been completed, and racing has commenced!

A few more riders haven’t managed to make it to the start: Dion Smith, Max Walscheid, Aimé De Gendt and Biniam Girmay. Girmay’s the name that stands out, as he might have really fancied his chances today, what with the suitable parcours for climbing sprinters like him, and the flashes of form he’s shown this week.

There’s an attacker from the peloton, and guess who? It’s Ben Healy again! The Irishman really in indefatigable, spending huge amounts of yesterday riding at the front of the race for Richard Carapaz, and hungry for more today

Two Italians have set off after Healy: Alessandro De Marchi and Antonio Tiberi.

All three riders are now together, as they reach the top of the unclassified hill they've been climbing since the flag. 

That climb has, as expected, drawn out a high calibre of rider Healy is one of the most dangerous riders in the peloton in terrain like this, De Marchi is a seasoned veteran of breakaway successes, and Tiberi has been in fine form all week, ranking as high as ninth place on GC until yesterday.

The front group’s getting bigger. Damiano Caruso and Georg Steinhauser have joined it, followed by Luke Rowe.

Now Lorenzo Milesi attacks, but he hasn't managed to join the six leaders yet.

140KM TO GO

No luck for Milesi, who's been caught. The six leaders haven't managed to build much of a gap yet either, and currently have only about 15 seconds, but there's plenty of firepower in it.

Here's Ben Healy at the start of the stage, initiating the break. 

Now the gap's starting to go up substantially. They've opened a lead of over a minute. Could this be the break of the day?

From the perspective of the GC riders, there’s no reason not to let this group up the road. Tiberi would have been a threat before yesterday, but he’s now well down at over seven minutes adrift on GC, while the others are all lower still.

For the sprinters hoping to bring the race back for a bunch sprint, however, there might be more concern. This is a strong group full of riders who can also keep the pace up on the upcoming flat roads later in the day, as well as being the right kind of size to work together coherently.

130KM TO GO

The six leaders can't be called the day's break yet, but their lead is growing gradually. It's now up to almost 1-30.

There’s only one official climb featured today, the Montedinove in about 15km, but immediately before and after that are plenty of undulating roads that make this far from a flat sprinter’s paradise. They’re currently climbing another uncategorised rise.

In the peloton, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek are doing the work at the front. They both want to eventually bring things back for a bunch finish, for their respective sprinters Jasper Philipsen and Jonathan Milan.

Up ahead, the six riders in the break still have a lead of about 1-30.

120KM TO GO

The break will start climbing the day's only categorised climb in just 4km. It could be crucial in determining their chances of survival.

The leaders are on the climb now. It's 3.9km long and has an average gradient of 5.2%, without too many fluctuations. 

The break have reached the top of the climb, led over by Tiberi. He takes maximum points in the King of the Mountains classification, but it's all moot, as Vingegaard has that jersey already sewn up.

110KM TO GO

As for the break's lead, it held steady on the climb, remaining at about 1-45. This is the day's break, but they're being kept on a tight leash.

Like yesterday, there are two EF Education-EasyPost riders in the break, only this time Ben Healy is accompanied by Georg Steinhauser rather than Richard Carapaz. That makes Healy the senior rider, so his role will be reversed today as the protected rider rather than the workhorse.

Also boasting two riders in the break are Bahrain-Victorious, represented by Caruso and Tiberi. These are both very strong riders, and the other riders in the break seem aware of this, allowing them to do much pace-setting.

As for the other two riders in the break, De Marchi and Rowe might not have the advantage of having a teammate, but have big engines, and Rowe especially should enjoy the flat terrain to come in the second half of the stage.

100KM TO GO

It still seems more likely that they will be caught before the finish than survive, however. With 100km to go, the gap is still a little under two minutes. 

In the peloton, it's still Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck doing the work.

90KM TO GO

The leaders are currently climbing the last uncategorised hill of the day. From here there’s a descent, after which it’s flat all the way to the finish.

They've reached the top and are now plummeting down the descent. So begins the eastwards trek back towards the Adriatic coast for the finish of the stage, and this edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, befitting the event known as The Race of the Two Seas.

It's looking less good for the break. Having held steady for a while, their lead is now coming down, and is now only 1-20.

One rider who won't be contesting for the stage win if it does come back for a sprint is Tim Merlier, who it's just been announced has abandoned. Soudal-QuickStep had been notable by their absence at the front of the peloton, so we can perhaps assume that the Belgian has been struggling all day.

80KM TO GO

Now just 1-15 for the break. It does increasingly feel more like a matter of when rather than if the catch will be made. The peloton won’t want to bring them back too early, and thus expose themselves to new attacks.

Despite Merlier’s abandonment, Soudal-QuickStep’s Julian Alaphilippe led the peloton for some of the descent. It’s unclear who exactly he’s working for, given the lack of an obvious replacement sprinter - perhaps we can expect an attack from one of their riders once the catch is made.

The break is crossing the finish line for the first time, whereupon begins the circuit of San Benedetto, which they will do multiple times. Their lead now is down to a mere 45 seconds.

Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X have joined Lidl-Trek and Alpecin-Deceuninck in setting the pace in the peloton. They both have multiple options they could be working for: the former, Corbin Strong or Ethan Vernon, the latter, Alexander Kristoff or Søren Wærenskjold.

A puncture for Markus Hoelgaard, one of the Uno-X riders who are now riding towards the front of the peloton. There's still more than enough firepower in the chase, however. 

60KM TO GO

Ben Healy is taking some big turns at the front of the break, but even his power isn't enough to hold off the coordinated chase of the peloton behind them. The gap's now down to 30 seconds.

The riders have just completed a lap of the circuit, and have passed the finish line again. 25 seconds is all that’s left of the lead - the peloton can almost see them on the long, flat finishing straight.

One team not contributing to the chase is Bahrain-Victorious, despite having Phil Bauhaus in their line-up The German won stage three, and has history here at San Benedetto, where he won the final stage of the 2022 Tirreno. Perhaps he’s not feeling great, or the team are just playing it cool.

The maglia ciclamino is also up for grabs today. Juan Ayso currency holds it, but will surely pass it on to one of the sprinters in the likely bunch finish today. Jonathan Milan is best-placed to inherit it, being just 1 point behind Ayuso’s total of 33, but Philipsen is also still in contention with 22 points.

The break's hopes may be forlorn, but Luke Rowe still seems in good spirits. He's just wished a Happy Mother's Day via the TV moto.

Uno-X Mobility are perhaps doing more work now than Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lidl-Trek at the front of the peloton, indicating that they must really fancy their chances. Young Søren Wærenskjold is their most likely candidate at the finish, but Alexander Kristoff could feasibly do a sprint as well.

Here’s what the finishing straight looks like, from when the riders passed through it on an earlier lap. It’s long and straight, so hopefully we won’t have the crashes that affected stage three.

The riders have completed another lap, and this time there were some bonus seconds available on the line as an intermediate sprint. They might have been hotly fought for had the peloton made the catch by now, potentially by riders chasing the points classification, but as the break is still out there Healy just rolled over the line first uncontested.

40KM TO GO

Still plenty of time for the peloton to make the catch, and their letting the break dangle out there at about 20 seconds. 

Josef Černý and Bert Van Lerberghe ave joined Soudal-QuickStep teammate Merlier in pulling out of the race. That leaves just Alaphilippe and Asgreen left in the race for the team.

Bora-Hansgrohe briefly took over at the front of the peloton, presumably to keep Jai Hindley safe and towards the front on the approach to a tight corner. They've left it to the sprinters teams again now though.

30KM TO GO

Another lap done, and still the break's lead is holding at 30 seconds Still no real sense that they have a chance, though - maybe if they still have 30 seconds with just 10km to go.

Crash in the peloton, and Richard Carapaz has had a heavy fall. He’s sat up on the floor and is being attended to.

20KM TO GO

Having held steady for so long, the peloton is winding the break in now. They’ve got them in sight, and it’s within 10 seconds.

Unsurprisingly, it’s been confirmed that Carapaz has abandoned. He hit the floor with quite an impact, and you fear he may have fractured something or suffered some kind of injury - which is the last thing he needs after having so many fitness problems last season.

Ben Healy’s not letting up, and is giving his all at the front of the break, but the catch is imminent now with the peloton mere seconds behind them.

The break has survived just long enough to hear the bell as they cross the finish line to begin the final lap.

But that’s it now, the break has been caught. 14km left for the sprinters’ teams to position their men.

Uno-X Mobility are still doing the lion’s share of the work in the peloton. This is quite a statement of intent from the Norwegian team.

Lots of tussling for places as we go around a corner, and it's Cofidis who lead through it. 

10KM TO GO

Cofidis still just about leading, but loads of teams massing at the front.

Now some GC teams take over. Ayuso's UAE Team Emirates are setting the pace, and Visma-Lease a Bike and Vingegaard have responded by getting on their wheel.

Decathlon are the next team to take control - possibly working for Andrea Vendrame, or just defending O'Connor's place on GC.

5KM TO GO

Still Decathlon at the front, but rival trains are emerging on the other side of the road from Israel-PremierTech and Movistar

Now Uno-X Mobility return to the front

A big battle for position as they go aorund a couple of tight corners 2.5km and 2.2km from the finish, and Uno-X emerge as the leaders.

1.5km to go, and Movistar are challenging, but it's still Uno-X.

Last kilometre!

2 Uno-X riders at the front.

The one at the front has opened up a gap

It looks like Søren Wærenskjold

Wærenskjold is being chased down...

Milan wins the sprint!

Wærenskjold looked like he might catch all the other sprinters out by going early, but the other sprinters came back to him in time, with Milan proving the strongest.

Even after Wærenskjold was caught UnoX still had a chance, as Alexander Kristoff was the rider to get closest to Milan, but was pipped on the line.

Philipsen lacked his usual kick, and was pipped for third by Davide Cimolai.

So that's two stage wins for Milan following his success three days ago. The result also means he wins the points classification. 

Kristoff actually was the first rider to start sprinting, realising that his teammate Wærenskjold wasn't going to make it to the line. Kristoff did well to hold off everyone else, but Milan proved to powerful. 

Wih no crashes or splits in the peloton, Jonas Vingegaard has also been confirmed as overall winner, with Juan Ayuso and Jai Hindley sealing the podium spots.

Apparently, that was the fastest ever stage of Tirreno-Adriatico in the race’s history. That goes to show just how high the pace in the breakaway was, and how hard the peloton needed to go to prevent them from making it to the finish.

Kristoff said he didn’t intend to start his sprint as early as he did, but was prompted to when Philipsen bumped him off Milan’s wheel. It nearly worked anyway, but the Norwegian looks a little disappointed not to have won.

That’s a third win of the season for Milan, following his success earlier in this race and at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. That makes him one of the most prolific sprinters of the year so far, bettered only by Olav Kooij and Tim Merlier in number of sprint victories.

As for Vingegaard, overall victory means he now has seven wins this season, passing Mads Pedersen at the top of 2024’s win list. If anything he looks even better than last year, and will be difficult for anyone to stop this season.

Thanks for joining us today, and following us all week for Tirreno-Adriatico. The GC proved to be as one-sided as many predicted, but there was still plenty of drama and excitement along the way, from Juan Ayuso impressive time trial win to Jonathan Milan ultimately outdoing Jasper Philipsen in the sprints. Many riders here will be back in Italy next weekend for one of the highlights of the season - Milan-Sanremo. Be sure to accompany us there too!