Tirreno-Adriatico 12-18 March 2014

['Dale]

Not for the sprinters

But Kwiatkowski should retain his leader's jersey

 

Let's see

 

Thanx, Cav'

 

[Cav']

We're into the Apennines today for the first of two mountain stages. It's a brutal 244km on the menu for the peloton today though, with what promises to be one the most exciting days of racing so far this year.

[Cav']

There are two categorised climbs in the final half of the stage and then the 14km climb up to the finish. The average gradient is 5.3% but in truth the road ramps up, with the last five kilometres at 6.4% and the final two kilometres at 7-8%.

 

It is a real mountain finish despite being only March, and the roads will no doubt be lined with snow. Fortunately the weather forecasts are good for the whole duration of this year's race.

[Cav']

Peter Sagan won yesterday but we also saw Kwiatkowski move into the lead and he now holds the lead over his teammate Uran. Watch out for the likes of Contador and Porte today as they'll both be looking to attack.

 

1 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 9:26:36

2 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:00:10

3 Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:00:13

4 Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team 0:00:15

5 Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge 0:00:17

6 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale 0:00:22

7 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol 0:00:30

8 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo

9 Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge 0:00:31

10 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Orica GreenEdge

11 Alberto Contador Velasco (Spa) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:36

12 Nairo Alexander Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team 0:00:38

13 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team

14 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Movistar Team

15 Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa) Movistar Team

16 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Sky 0:00:39

17 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol 0:00:40

18 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo 0:00:44

19 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo

20 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale 0:00:46

[Cav']

11:59:54 CET

 

But Kwiatkowski is the man to beat. He's been in a different league so far this season and his rivals have simply found him too hot to handle. He started out in Mallorca with a stage win, nothing huge there, true. However he won two stages and the overall in Algarve before crushing the field and Sagan in Strade Bianche. He and his team won the TTT here and his second place yesterday saw him put time into all his main rivals.

 

If there's one or two weaknesses it's that he sometimes has the odd bad day as we saw in San Luis last year and the Tour. He's not the most experienced either but that doesn't really matter too much if you've got the legs and a good team around you.

[Cav']

At the moment the break, consisting of Lloyd Mondory (Ag2r La Mondiale), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Matthias Brandle (IAM Cycling), Filippo Fortin (Bardiani-CSF), Alexandre Pichot (Europcar) and Maxim Belkov (Katusha) have 7'20 over the peloton.

[Cav']

It's QuickStep who are currently on the front of the peloton though as they control the pace, as they have done for the majority of this week's race. First for Cavendish and now for new race leader Kwiatkowski.

[Cav']

The leaders broke clear inside the first 10km of racing and with 105km of racing to go their advantage is at 6'57.

[Cav']

Contador is safely tucked in the middle of the peloton at the moment. He looks to be finding some of his old form, he won a stage in Algarve and finished second overall but he's far from the rider who danced away to victory in the 2009 Tour de France. This race is should give a better indication as to whether he can challenge for the Tour, although the race is a long way off, and of course Froome isn't here. Still, it's a big day for him and victory in the stage would give him the world of confidence.

[Cav']

Here's where things stand in the KOM competition.

 

1 Marco Canola (Ita) Bardiani CSF 25 pts

2 Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka 8

3 Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team NetApp - Endura 6

4 David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team NetApp - Endura 6

5 Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF 4

6 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team 3

7 Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar 2

8 Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team Europcar 1

[Cav']

News has filtered through that Robert Gesink has abandoned the race. He started the stage 49 seconds down, on the same time as his teammate Bauke Mollema. We'll try and get an official comment from Belkin.

[Cav']

As the leaders have ducked under the 100km to go point. Their lead at a steady 6'50 over the peloton.

[tombeej]

TBH I would have preferred to be watching T-A on the box instead of Paris Nice. Hopefully Multichoice will look at buying the rights for it next year...

Edited March 15, 2014 by tombeej

[Cav']

Movistar have now pitched in and started to set the pace at the front of the peloton. The break, still up ahead, have split to pieces.

[Cav']

Race radio crackles through that Pichon and Belkov are now leading but we'll look to clear that confusion up as soon as we can.

[Cav']

Into the final 55km and Movistar have the leaders at 1'59, the lead has dropped dramatically.