2011 Tirreno–Adriatico
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 46th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico cycling stage race, often known as the Race of two seas. It started on 9 March in Marina di Carrara
and ended on 15 March in San Benedetto del Tronto
and consisted of seven stages, including a team time trial to begin the race and an individual time trial to conclude it. It was the third race of the 2011 UCI World Tour
season.
The race was won by rider Cadel Evans
, who claimed the leader's blue jersey on stage five before a stage win on stage six. Evans' winning margin over runner-up Robert Gesink
was 11 seconds, as Gesink overhauled both Ivan Basso
of and 's Michele Scarponi
on the final time trial stage. Scarponi – winner of the fourth stage – completed the podium, 15 seconds down on Evans.
In the race's other classifications, Gesink's second place overall won him the white jersey for the highest placed rider aged 25 or under, and Scarponi took home the red jersey for amassing the highest number of points during stages at intermediate sprints and stage finishes. rider Davide Malacarne
won the King of the Mountains classification, with finishing at the head of the teams classification.
, so all 18 UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to attend. Two UCI Professional Continental teams were awarded wildcards. These were the team of defending champion Stefano Garzelli
and the team of Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti
, both of whom were present in the race.
The full list of participating teams is:
, Ivan Basso
, Robert Gesink
, Vincenzo Nibali
, Joaquim Rodríguez
, Andy Schleck
, and Marco Pinotti
were present. Evans' attendance was mainly for racing kilometers before attempting to win the Tour de France
. Basso, who will also focus on the Tour de France, came to the race hoping for overall victory. He named Gesink as a potential rival, and Gesink for his part claimed Basso as a rider he fears. Schleck, Nibali, and Evans were named by one pre-race analysis as possible contenders, but not favorites, due to their plans to be at peak form later in the season.
Other riders named as contenders included Philippe Gilbert
, Damiano Cunego
, Thomas Löfkvist, David Millar
, Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti
and Edvald Boasson Hagen
. 2010's top two, Stefano Garzelli
and Michele Scarponi
, both returned, but as the race had no time trial in 2010 and had two in 2011, their chances were diminished due to their relatively weak time trial skills. Other notable riders present in the field included 2008 winner Fabian Cancellara
, American time trial specialist David Zabriskie
, Italian classics rider and former Tirreno–Adriatico podium finisher Alessandro Ballan
, former Italian national champion Filippo Pozzato
, 2010 Giro d'Italia
runner-up David Arroyo
, and Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen
.
Despite there being only two flat stages (the first two road race days), many top-tier sprinters started the race, as the Tirreno–Adriatico is traditionally considered to be excellent preparation for Milan – San Remo. Every Milan – San Remo winner since Andrei Tchmil
in 1999 raced Tirreno–Adriatico (rather than Paris–Nice) beforehand. Tyler Farrar
, Tom Boonen
, Alessandro Petacchi
, André Greipel
, world champion Thor Hushovd
, the aforementioned McEwen, and the last two Milan – San Remo winners Mark Cavendish
and Óscar Freire
all started the race.
The stage 1 team time trial
was the first in the Tirreno–Adriatico's 46-year history. The individual time trial
returned in stage 7, after not being present in 2010. Along with the two flat stages and the two time trials were three hilly stages. While there were no exceptionally high passes visited in the race, each of the hilly stages was long and featured several small, steep ascents. Stages 4 and 5 were both 240 km (149.1 mi) in length, which is long for stages in a multi-day race. The five road races covered 1049 km (651.8 mi) in total.
(TTT)
The race of the two seas began with a flat team time trial
starting and ending in Marina di Carrara in Tuscany
on the Tyrrhenian coast. The course cut inland briefly, but doubled back and ended less than a kilometer from where it started.
The Dutch team was the first out of the starthouse, finishing with six of their eight riders in a time of 18' 08". The stage's main favorites took the course later, and each fell short of the time set. had a slow start, but picked up speed as their ride wore on, finishing second nine seconds slower than Rabobank. and , winners of the TTT in the respective last two editions of the Giro d'Italia, finished third and fifth at 10 and 22 seconds off Rabobank's time. sprinter André Greipel
crashed in the warmups for the TTT and suffered numerous facial injuries. He rode the time trial with several bandages on his head, and abandoned the race before stage 2 with his left eye swollen completely shut.
The team, driven by world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
, had trouble retaining the minimum of five riders. Tom Stamsnijder
fell off the group's pace outside the final kilometer and Cancellara, likely unaware, kept drilling his squad to get them to the line as fast as possible. Their time was not taken until Stamsnijder finished, several seconds after the first four riders, giving them seventh place at 29 seconds back. The squads of Michele Scarponi
, Giovanni Visconti
, and defending champion Stefano Garzelli
all lost considerable time, finishing 37, 55, and 47 seconds off the pace respectively. Lars Boom
took the first blue jersey as race leader since he had been the first Rabobank rider to cross the finish line, but more significant was the time in hand the result meant for Robert Gesink
against his rivals for the overall classification.
to Arezzo
, 202 km (125.5 mi)
The profile for the first road race stage was largely flat, with two small climbs coming about two-thirds of the way in. The course was easterly, heading from the start town of Carrara to the frazione
of Indicatore in Arezzo
.
Despite the stage being all but certain to end in a field sprint, Javier Aramendia
, Leonardo Giordani, and Olivier Kaisen
tried their luck with a breakaway after just 3 km (1.9 mi). They were able to increase their advantage by two minutes at one point when the peloton was caught behind a closed railroad crossing, and the race jury decided that the breakaway would not have to stop while the peloton did. When their advantage hit 7'30", the chase, led largely by , began in earnest. Tom Boonen
and Mark Cavendish
were both gapped off during the chase. Boonen finished 91 seconds back on the day, and though Cavendish did rejoin the leading group, he was not a factor in the sprint finish. The three-man breakaway was caught 44 km (27.3 mi) from the finish line, leaving Kaisen's teammate Vicente Reynès
to try a counter-move, but he was never allowed more than 30 seconds' advantage. A large group sprint indeed took place, won by Tyler Farrar
after a strong leadout from world champion Thor Hushovd
.
to Perugia
, 189 km (117.4 mi)
Stage 3 was also flat, heading southeasterly to Perugia
in the region of Umbria
. A short point-awarding climb occurred 25 km (15.5 mi) before the finish line.
A lone rider formed the day's breakaway. Daniel Sesma slipped ahead of the peloton after only 2 km (1.2 mi). Given the stage's flat profile and the limited power one rider can muster on his own, he was allowed an advantage of nearly ten minutes at one point, before the chase began. When he was caught, at the 30 km (18.6 mi) to go mark, the team took to the front of the field to try to set up an attack by their leader Giovanni Visconti
. Visconti never had much of an advantage, but the work done by his team did put sprinters like Mark Cavendish
into more difficulty than anticipated on the short climb that preceded the finish. For the second day in a row, Cavendish had to chase back on to the main field prior to the mass sprint finale. In the sprint, world champion Thor Hushovd
again led out race leader Tyler Farrar
, but may have been too strong in so doing, as he briefly opened up a gap on his team leader. Cavendish lost the wheel of his leadout man Mark Renshaw
, and again failed to factor into the finish. Hushovd's early leadout left Farrar to go for the finish line from 600 m (1,968.5 ft) out, which proved too far as Juan José Haedo
was able to come around the American at the last moment and just pip him at the line for the victory. Farrar, however, retained the race leadership for another day.
to Chieti
, 240 km (149.1 mi)
In stage 4, the peloton nearly reached the Adriatic coast, ending in Chieti
in Abruzzo
just a few kilometers away. The course was hilly, with a climb and a descent early on and several short but steep climbs toward the finish.
The first of two very long stages began with a moment of silence in commemoration of the lives lost in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
, led by 's Fumiyuki Beppu
, the only Japanese rider in the race. Beppu's family was safe, and he chose to continue in the race.
After 25 km (15.5 mi), a leading trio came clear of the peloton. These were Mickaël Cherel
, Gorazd Štangelj
, and Sebastian Lang
. Their lead exceeded 15 minutes at one point, the most advantage given to a breakaway so far in the race. The mid-course hills took their toll and the leaders' time gap steadily fell as the day went on. Lang was dropped after he punctured and could not chase back on, leaving Cherel and Štangelj alone in front of the race. Their fatigue evident, Cherel tried to ride away from Štangelj with 20 km (12.4 mi) left to race, but he could not muster much of an attack, and he was brought back 10 km (6.2 mi) later after riding with a very slow cadence and a large gear for those 10 km.
Just before the stage-concluding ascent to the hilltop town of Chieti
truly began, world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
, Giovanni Visconti
, Dmitriy Muravyev, and world road race champion Thor Hushovd
tried a counter-move, but none could keep Cancellara's wheel, so they did not attain a meaningful advantage and were soon brought back. As the climb began, Michele Scarponi
, Philippe Gilbert
, Danilo Di Luca
, and Damiano Cunego
went on the attack and gapped off some of their rivals. Ivan Basso
and Cadel Evans
at first rode more conservatively, but did bridge back up. Scarponi was the strongest of the attackers, quickly surging to the front of the race. Gilbert and then Evans in succession tried to make their way up to him. Cunego marked each move and stayed in their slipstream, so that should the man he was following catch Scarponi, he would be fresher to attack and take victory for his team. Since his teammate was up the road, he did not help either in the chase. Scarponi faded toward the end but held on for victory by a few bike lengths. When it was clear that Scarponi would win the day, Cunego put in a finishing kick to take second place ahead of Evans, giving the top two finishers on the day. Scarponi also won in Chieti in the 2010 Tirreno–Adriatico
. The gruppetto containing the sprinters, including overnight race leader Tyler Farrar
, was 17 minutes back, so there was a new leader after this stage. That was Robert Gesink
, still well-placed because of 's win in the team time trial, but he had had his advantage narrowed by finishing 12 seconds back on this stage.
to Castelraimondo
, 240 km (149.1 mi)
The fifth stage included the only climb in the race of over 1000 m (3,280.8 ft) in height, the Sasso Tetto cresting at 154 km (95.7 mi) in. The early part of the route hugged the Adriatic coast before cutting inland for the climbs. The riders saw the finish line twice, taking a 26.6 km (16.5 mi) circuit in Castelraimondo
.
Again, the day's principal breakaway was given a large time gap. After 100 km (62.1 mi), Andrey Amador
, Davide Malacarne
, Mathew Hayman
, Fabian Wegmann
and Jens Mouris
had a lead of over 11 minutes. The parcours began to take its toll at this point, and as the chase ramped up in the peloton, the time gap fell precipitously. By the time the ascent of the Sasso Tetto began, Mouris was gapped off and lost more and more time as the day went on, eventually finishing 21 minutes behind the stage winner. Hayman and Wegmann kept the pace for a while, and Wegmann won the day's second climb, the Camerino at 201.8 km (125.4 mi), but eventually only Amador and Malacarne were left out front. The second group on the road eventually reduced itself to just a select group of overall favorites and contenders. Amador attacked first on the finishing circuit, but Malacarne made the bridge. Instead of working together to stay away and let a two-up sprint decide the stage winner, Amador and Malacarne sat on one another's wheels and let their rapidly falling advantage dwindle even further. From the elite group of contenders, Pinotti put in an attack on an uphill section of the finishing circuit that effectively gapped off race leader Robert Gesink
, who had used up all of his support riders at this point. Gesink finished 17 seconds back on the day, losing the race leadership.
Amador and Malacarne hung on to an advantage of just under two minutes with 10 km (6.2 mi) left to go, meaning they had a chance to stay away. Through a downhill section at 6 km (3.7 mi) to go, their advantage held steady, but the uphill finish was too much for them. They were unaware that Wout Poels
had come clear of the elite group of overall favorites and bridged up to them, and the Dutchman was in first position on the road with 200 m (656.2 ft) to go. But instead of taking the optimal line along the barricades, Poels rode the final meters of the stage in the middle of the road, which gave classics specialist Philippe Gilbert
the inside track to pip him at the line for the stage win. Damiano Cunego
and Danilo Di Luca
also finished at the front of the race, two seconds ahead of the next group. Malacarne's all-day effort in the breakaway did not go unrewarded, as he became the new leader of the mountains classification. Cadel Evans
became the new race leader, and he expressed surprise that Gesink had lost it on a day that seemed to suit his strengths.
to Macerata
, 178 km (110.6 mi)
This course was hilly. The riders rode part of the final kilometer in Macerata
twice before the actual conclusion of the race, though they only crossed the finish line once. The final kilometer was uphill; the first visit counted as a point-awarding climb and the second was an intermediate sprint.
The first rider to break away for any length of time was 's Borut Božič
, coming clear at the 44 km (27.3 mi) mark. He was joined shortly thereafter by a bridging Bert Grabsch
, and just 6 km (3.7 mi) after Božič's initial escape, the duo had five minutes on the main field. That time gap held steady until the finishing circuits in Macerata began, and the team came forward to lead the chase. The lead was two minutes on the hill climb pass at the end of the first circuit but only 20 seconds on the intermediate sprint at the end of the second, and they were caught not long after.
continued to work to soften up the field. Przemyslaw Niemiec
was the first, and with only 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) left, Damiano Cunego
was the last, as their leader Michele Scarponi
figured to need to take not only the blue jersey but time in hand over race leader Cadel Evans
should he hope to win the race overall, since Evans is the stronger time trialist. On the final ascent, Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali
both got clear of the lead group of overall favorites, but both strangely sat up and stopped riding hard, eying one another, after a turn in the road. This allowed Evans and the other top contenders to catch them. With 200 m (656.2 ft) to go, Evans hit the front himself, and never gave up first position, holding on for the stage victory. He confirmed after the stage that he had come in simply hoping to retain the race lead, or at least limit any major losses, but when the opportunity to increase that lead presented itself, he took full advantage.
, 9.3 km (5.8 mi), individual time trial
(ITT)
The Tirreno–Adriatico ended as its parent race the Giro d'Italia
had for the last three seasons, with an individual time trial. San Benedetto del Tronto
in the Marche
region played host to a perfectly flat out-and-back ride right along the Adriatic coast.
The winning time came early in the day, from a likely source: four-time world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
stopped the clock in 10'33" about two hours before the race's top overall riders took to the course. Though it did hold up as best, Cancellara said afterward that he was far from certain in his time holding up, considering that he had no reference point. In contrast to the world championships, when he has usually started last as the defending champion and therefore knows the times and splits of his rivals, Cancellara had no such information for this ride. It was Cancellara's first win for and only the second win overall for the team, after the GP Samyn
.
Later, the race's top riders took the course to decide the overall standings. Robert Gesink
, generally regarded as a poor time trialist, put up his second very strong individual performance in as many races, after having won the ITT at the Tour of Oman
. He finished ninth on the day, 27 seconds back of Cancellara at an even 11 minutes, and successfully moved up to second in the overall standings. Ivan Basso
, regarded as solid but unremarkable in the time trial discipline, had a difficult ride, finishing in 11'16" and slipping to fourth overall. Michele Scarponi
did him one second better, at 11'15", but fell short of overtaking even Gesink, let alone race leader Cadel Evans
, with that time. Italian national champion Marco Pinotti
finished sixth both in the time trial and the race overall, coming in at 10'57" on the day. As race leader, Evans was the last man on course, and he clocked in at 11'04", ceding four seconds to Gesink in 12th place on the day, but this was sufficient for him to win the race overall. He knew Vincenzo Nibali
's time, which was 11'14", before he began his ride, but not any of the others of his rivals. Evans became the first rider from the southern hemisphere to win Tirreno–Adriatico. Third place finisher Scarponi won the points classification, having taken the jersey from Tyler Farrar
after stage 6. Gesink took home the white jersey, having led the youth classification for the entire race. Stage 5 breakaway man Davide Malacarne
was the winner of the mountains classification, and Basso and Nibali's squad won the team award.
Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a red jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top ten in a stage. The stage win awarded 12 points, second place awarded 10 points, third 8, and one point fewer per place down the line, to a single point for tenth. In addition, the first four riders across the intermediate sprint lines earned points, 5, 3, 2, and 1 in succession.
There is also a mountains classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. There were sixteen recognized climbs in the race. Unlike most other races, the climbs were not separated into categories – each awarded the same points to the first five riders over its summit.
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, which awarded a white jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders born after 1 January 1986 are eligible.
Carrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
and ended on 15 March in San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto is a city and comune in Marche, Italy, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It lies on the Adriatic Sea. San Benedetto del Tronto is an important little town on the Marche coast, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast.Located...
and consisted of seven stages, including a team time trial to begin the race and an individual time trial to conclude it. It was the third race of the 2011 UCI World Tour
2011 UCI World Tour
The 2011 UCI World Tour was the third edition of the ranking system launched by the International Cycling Union in 2009. The series started with the Tour Down Under's opening stage on 18 January, and consisted of 14 stage races and 13 one-day races, culminating in the Giro di Lombardia on 15...
season.
The race was won by rider Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, who claimed the leader's blue jersey on stage five before a stage win on stage six. Evans' winning margin over runner-up Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
was 11 seconds, as Gesink overhauled both Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
of and 's Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
on the final time trial stage. Scarponi – winner of the fourth stage – completed the podium, 15 seconds down on Evans.
In the race's other classifications, Gesink's second place overall won him the white jersey for the highest placed rider aged 25 or under, and Scarponi took home the red jersey for amassing the highest number of points during stages at intermediate sprints and stage finishes. rider Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Quick Step.-Palmares:20102011-External links:...
won the King of the Mountains classification, with finishing at the head of the teams classification.
Teams
The Tirreno–Adriatico was part of the 2011 UCI World Tour2011 UCI World Tour
The 2011 UCI World Tour was the third edition of the ranking system launched by the International Cycling Union in 2009. The series started with the Tour Down Under's opening stage on 18 January, and consisted of 14 stage races and 13 one-day races, culminating in the Giro di Lombardia on 15...
, so all 18 UCI ProTeams were invited automatically and obligated to attend. Two UCI Professional Continental teams were awarded wildcards. These were the team of defending champion Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The high point of his career to date was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-way competition with Gilberto Simoni and Francesco Casagrande.-Career:He started out as being a domestique for Marco Pantani but...
and the team of Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
, both of whom were present in the race.
The full list of participating teams is:
Race previews and favorites
Numerous notable riders were present in the race peloton, though their reasons for attending varied slightly. Top stage racers like Cadel EvansCadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
, Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
, Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides UCI ProTeam . Born near the Strait of Messina, Nibali's nickname is the "shark of the strait" or simply "the shark." His first major win came at the 2006 GP Ouest-France, where he beat an impressive field on a tough course...
, Joaquim Rodríguez
Joaquim Rodríguez
Joaquim Rodríguez Oliver is a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He has been competing since 2001, and currently rides for the UCI ProTour team .- Palmarès :2001...
, Andy Schleck
Andy Schleck
Andy Raymond Schleck is a Luxembourgish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . He is the younger brother of Fränk Schleck, who also rides for . Their father Johny Schleck rode the Tour de France and Vuelta a España between 1965 and 1974...
, and Marco Pinotti
Marco Pinotti
Marco Pinotti is an Italian road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Pinotti is a specialist of individual time trial, in which he is a five-time Italian Time Trial Champion ....
were present. Evans' attendance was mainly for racing kilometers before attempting to win the Tour de France
2011 Tour de France
-Pre-race favourites:2010 winner Alberto Contador was suspended from cycling during a doping investigation from September 2010 to February 2011, during which time 2010 runner-up Andy Schleck was regarded as the favourite. When the suspension was lifted, Contador declared his desire to compete in...
. Basso, who will also focus on the Tour de France, came to the race hoping for overall victory. He named Gesink as a potential rival, and Gesink for his part claimed Basso as a rider he fears. Schleck, Nibali, and Evans were named by one pre-race analysis as possible contenders, but not favorites, due to their plans to be at peak form later in the season.
Other riders named as contenders included Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
, Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
, Thomas Löfkvist, David Millar
David Millar
David Millar is a British road racing cyclist riding for . He has won three stages of the Tour de France, two of the Vuelta a España and one Stage of the Giro d'Italia. He was the British national road champion and the national time trial champion, both in 2007...
, Italian national champion Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
and Edvald Boasson Hagen
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Edvald Boasson Hagen is a Norwegian professional road racing cyclist riding for the UCI ProTour team . He is the Norwegian Time Trial Champion and also considered as one of the biggest rising talents in the sport, being ranked as no...
. 2010's top two, Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The high point of his career to date was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-way competition with Gilberto Simoni and Francesco Casagrande.-Career:He started out as being a domestique for Marco Pantani but...
and Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
, both returned, but as the race had no time trial in 2010 and had two in 2011, their chances were diminished due to their relatively weak time trial skills. Other notable riders present in the field included 2008 winner Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
, American time trial specialist David Zabriskie
David Zabriskie
David Zabriskie is a professional road bicycle racer from the United States who rides for . His main strength is individual time trials and his career highlights include stage wins in all three Grand Tour stage races and winning the US National Time Trial Championship six times...
, Italian classics rider and former Tirreno–Adriatico podium finisher Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Ballan
Alessandro Ballan is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI Professional Continental team , and is a former world champion. Although he possesses a frame that is usually more associated with climbing, Ballan has established himself as a leading spring classics contender in recent years...
, former Italian national champion Filippo Pozzato
Filippo Pozzato
Filippo "Pippo" Pozzato is an Italian road racing cyclist with UCI ProTour Team Katusha.-Career:...
, 2010 Giro d'Italia
2010 Giro d'Italia
The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country...
runner-up David Arroyo
David Arroyo
David Arroyo Durán is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding on the UCI ProTeam . He is one of the best climbers on his team along with team leader Alejandro Valverde. After Valverde crashed on the first week of the 2006 Tour de France, Arroyo was made team leader, until Pereiro claimed...
, and Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen
Robbie McEwen is an Australian professional road bicycle racer, for on the UCI ProTour, specializing in sprint finishes...
.
Despite there being only two flat stages (the first two road race days), many top-tier sprinters started the race, as the Tirreno–Adriatico is traditionally considered to be excellent preparation for Milan – San Remo. Every Milan – San Remo winner since Andrei Tchmil
Andrei Tchmil
Andrei Tchmil is a retired professional road bicycle racer. His family moved to Ukraine during the days of the Soviet Union. He started cycling and showed enough talent to be moved to a cycling school in Moldova...
in 1999 raced Tirreno–Adriatico (rather than Paris–Nice) beforehand. Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...
, Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...
, Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi
Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for .A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 51 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004, the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010.In 2007 Alessandro was banned from cycling...
, André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
, world champion Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...
, the aforementioned McEwen, and the last two Milan – San Remo winners Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
and Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire
Óscar Freire Gómez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer, riding for the UCI ProTeam Rabobank. He is one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the world championship a three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx...
all started the race.
The stage 1 team time trial
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
was the first in the Tirreno–Adriatico's 46-year history. The individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
returned in stage 7, after not being present in 2010. Along with the two flat stages and the two time trials were three hilly stages. While there were no exceptionally high passes visited in the race, each of the hilly stages was long and featured several small, steep ascents. Stages 4 and 5 were both 240 km (149.1 mi) in length, which is long for stages in a multi-day race. The five road races covered 1049 km (651.8 mi) in total.
Stage 1
9 March 2011 – Marina di Carrara, 16.8 km (10.4 mi), team time trialTeam time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
(TTT)
The race of the two seas began with a flat team time trial
Team time trial
A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
starting and ending in Marina di Carrara in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
on the Tyrrhenian coast. The course cut inland briefly, but doubled back and ended less than a kilometer from where it started.
The Dutch team was the first out of the starthouse, finishing with six of their eight riders in a time of 18' 08". The stage's main favorites took the course later, and each fell short of the time set. had a slow start, but picked up speed as their ride wore on, finishing second nine seconds slower than Rabobank. and , winners of the TTT in the respective last two editions of the Giro d'Italia, finished third and fifth at 10 and 22 seconds off Rabobank's time. sprinter André Greipel
Andre Greipel
André Greipel is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany...
crashed in the warmups for the TTT and suffered numerous facial injuries. He rode the time trial with several bandages on his head, and abandoned the race before stage 2 with his left eye swollen completely shut.
The team, driven by world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
, had trouble retaining the minimum of five riders. Tom Stamsnijder
Tom Stamsnijder
Tom Stamsnijder is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam , and son of former cyclo-cross world champion Hennie Stamsnijder.- Palmares :2000...
fell off the group's pace outside the final kilometer and Cancellara, likely unaware, kept drilling his squad to get them to the line as fast as possible. Their time was not taken until Stamsnijder finished, several seconds after the first four riders, giving them seventh place at 29 seconds back. The squads of Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
, Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
, and defending champion Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli
Stefano Garzelli is an Italian professional road racing cyclist. The high point of his career to date was his overall win in the 2000 Giro d'Italia, after a close three-way competition with Gilberto Simoni and Francesco Casagrande.-Career:He started out as being a domestique for Marco Pantani but...
all lost considerable time, finishing 37, 55, and 47 seconds off the pace respectively. Lars Boom
Lars Boom
Lars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008...
took the first blue jersey as race leader since he had been the first Rabobank rider to cross the finish line, but more significant was the time in hand the result meant for Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
against his rivals for the overall classification.
Stage 1 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 1
|
Stage 2
10 March 2011 – CarraraCarrara
Carrara is a city and comune in the province of Massa-Carrara , notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence....
to Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
, 202 km (125.5 mi)
The profile for the first road race stage was largely flat, with two small climbs coming about two-thirds of the way in. The course was easterly, heading from the start town of Carrara to the frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Indicatore in Arezzo
Arezzo
Arezzo is a city and comune in Central Italy, capital of the province of the same name, located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about 80 km southeast of Florence, at an elevation of 296 m above sea level. In 2011 the population was about 100,000....
.
Despite the stage being all but certain to end in a field sprint, Javier Aramendia
Javier Aramendia
Francisco Javier Aramendia Llorente is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi.- External links :...
, Leonardo Giordani, and Olivier Kaisen
Olivier Kaisen
Olivier Kaisen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team .- Palmares :2001200220032004- External links :**...
tried their luck with a breakaway after just 3 km (1.9 mi). They were able to increase their advantage by two minutes at one point when the peloton was caught behind a closed railroad crossing, and the race jury decided that the breakaway would not have to stop while the peloton did. When their advantage hit 7'30", the chase, led largely by , began in earnest. Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...
and Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
were both gapped off during the chase. Boonen finished 91 seconds back on the day, and though Cavendish did rejoin the leading group, he was not a factor in the sprint finish. The three-man breakaway was caught 44 km (27.3 mi) from the finish line, leaving Kaisen's teammate Vicente Reynès
Vicente Reynès
Vicente Reynès Mimo is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .-Palmarès:2003 - L.A.-Pecol2004 - Illes Balears-Banesto2005 - Illes Balears-Caisse d'Epargne*Paris–Nice, Stage 3...
to try a counter-move, but he was never allowed more than 30 seconds' advantage. A large group sprint indeed took place, won by Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...
after a strong leadout from world champion Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...
.
Stage 2 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 2
|
Stage 3
11 March 2011 – Terranuova BraccioliniTerranuova Bracciolini
Terranuova Bracciolini is a comune in the Province of Arezzo in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 km southeast of Florence and about 25 km northwest of Arezzo...
to Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
, 189 km (117.4 mi)
Stage 3 was also flat, heading southeasterly to Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
in the region of Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
. A short point-awarding climb occurred 25 km (15.5 mi) before the finish line.
A lone rider formed the day's breakaway. Daniel Sesma slipped ahead of the peloton after only 2 km (1.2 mi). Given the stage's flat profile and the limited power one rider can muster on his own, he was allowed an advantage of nearly ten minutes at one point, before the chase began. When he was caught, at the 30 km (18.6 mi) to go mark, the team took to the front of the field to try to set up an attack by their leader Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
. Visconti never had much of an advantage, but the work done by his team did put sprinters like Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
into more difficulty than anticipated on the short climb that preceded the finish. For the second day in a row, Cavendish had to chase back on to the main field prior to the mass sprint finale. In the sprint, world champion Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...
again led out race leader Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...
, but may have been too strong in so doing, as he briefly opened up a gap on his team leader. Cavendish lost the wheel of his leadout man Mark Renshaw
Mark Renshaw
Mark Renshaw is an Australian racing cyclist with UCI ProTeam , who is considered one of the best lead-out men in the world.- Early career :...
, and again failed to factor into the finish. Hushovd's early leadout left Farrar to go for the finish line from 600 m (1,968.5 ft) out, which proved too far as Juan José Haedo
Juan José Haedo
Juan José Haedo is an Argentine professional road racing cyclist and former track cyclist on . He is the brother of Lucas Sebastian Haedo...
was able to come around the American at the last moment and just pip him at the line for the victory. Farrar, however, retained the race leadership for another day.
Stage 3 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 3
|
Stage 4
12 March 2011 – NarniNarni
Narni is an ancient hilltown and comune of Umbria, in central Italy, with 20,100 inhabitants, according to the 2003 census. At an altitude of 240 m , it overhangs a narrow gorge of the Nera River in the province of Terni. It is very close to the Geographic center of Italy...
to Chieti
Chieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
, 240 km (149.1 mi)
In stage 4, the peloton nearly reached the Adriatic coast, ending in Chieti
Chieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
in Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
just a few kilometers away. The course was hilly, with a climb and a descent early on and several short but steep climbs toward the finish.
The first of two very long stages began with a moment of silence in commemoration of the lives lost in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, led by 's Fumiyuki Beppu
Fumiyuki Beppu
Fumiyuki Beppu is a Japanese professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . His older brother is the cyclist Takumi Beppu.-Team Discovery :Beppu turned professional with in 2005, and stayed with them until 2007....
, the only Japanese rider in the race. Beppu's family was safe, and he chose to continue in the race.
After 25 km (15.5 mi), a leading trio came clear of the peloton. These were Mickaël Cherel
Mickaël Cherel
Mickaël Cherel is a French professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .- Palmarès :* U19 Trophée Centre Morbihan - Overall U19 Road Race Champion - External links :...
, Gorazd Štangelj
Gorazd Štangelj
Gorazd Štangelj is a Slovenian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team .- Palmares :1998...
, and Sebastian Lang
Sebastian Lang
Sebastian Lang is a German professional road bicycle racer and time trialist for UCI ProTour team . He rode on Team Gerolsteiner from 2002 until its demise in 2008, and in 2006 became Germany's national time trial champion....
. Their lead exceeded 15 minutes at one point, the most advantage given to a breakaway so far in the race. The mid-course hills took their toll and the leaders' time gap steadily fell as the day went on. Lang was dropped after he punctured and could not chase back on, leaving Cherel and Štangelj alone in front of the race. Their fatigue evident, Cherel tried to ride away from Štangelj with 20 km (12.4 mi) left to race, but he could not muster much of an attack, and he was brought back 10 km (6.2 mi) later after riding with a very slow cadence and a large gear for those 10 km.
Just before the stage-concluding ascent to the hilltop town of Chieti
Chieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
truly began, world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
, Giovanni Visconti
Giovanni Visconti (cyclist)
Giovanni Visconti is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team . Visconti won the Italian National Championship road race on 1 July 2007, beating Paolo Bossoni and Davide Rebellin at the end in a sprint. At 12 km to go, Rebellin made his move...
, Dmitriy Muravyev, and world road race champion Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd
Thor Hushovd is a Norwegian professional road bicycle racer riding . He has signed for from 2012 onwards. He is known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and world road champion. He is the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road...
tried a counter-move, but none could keep Cancellara's wheel, so they did not attain a meaningful advantage and were soon brought back. As the climb began, Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
, Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
, Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
, and Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
went on the attack and gapped off some of their rivals. Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
and Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
at first rode more conservatively, but did bridge back up. Scarponi was the strongest of the attackers, quickly surging to the front of the race. Gilbert and then Evans in succession tried to make their way up to him. Cunego marked each move and stayed in their slipstream, so that should the man he was following catch Scarponi, he would be fresher to attack and take victory for his team. Since his teammate was up the road, he did not help either in the chase. Scarponi faded toward the end but held on for victory by a few bike lengths. When it was clear that Scarponi would win the day, Cunego put in a finishing kick to take second place ahead of Evans, giving the top two finishers on the day. Scarponi also won in Chieti in the 2010 Tirreno–Adriatico
2010 Tirreno–Adriatico
The 2010 Tirreno–Adriatico was the 45th running of the Tirreno–Adriatico stage race. It started on 10 March and finished on 16 March. The race started in Livorno and ended San Benedetto del Tronto...
. The gruppetto containing the sprinters, including overnight race leader Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...
, was 17 minutes back, so there was a new leader after this stage. That was Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
, still well-placed because of 's win in the team time trial, but he had had his advantage narrowed by finishing 12 seconds back on this stage.
Stage 4 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 4
|
Stage 5
13 March 2011 – ChietiChieti
Chieti is a city and comune in Central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. It is the capital of the Province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region...
to Castelraimondo
Castelraimondo
Castelraimondo is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 60 km southwest of Ancona and about 35 km southwest of Macerata...
, 240 km (149.1 mi)
The fifth stage included the only climb in the race of over 1000 m (3,280.8 ft) in height, the Sasso Tetto cresting at 154 km (95.7 mi) in. The early part of the route hugged the Adriatic coast before cutting inland for the climbs. The riders saw the finish line twice, taking a 26.6 km (16.5 mi) circuit in Castelraimondo
Castelraimondo
Castelraimondo is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 60 km southwest of Ancona and about 35 km southwest of Macerata...
.
Again, the day's principal breakaway was given a large time gap. After 100 km (62.1 mi), Andrey Amador
Andrey Amador
Andrey Amador Bipkazacova is a Costa Rican professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His paternal grandmother is Spanish while his mother is a Russian immigrant who arrived in the country after meeting and marrying his Costa Rican father. He started cycling professionally at the age of 20...
, Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Quick Step.-Palmares:20102011-External links:...
, Mathew Hayman
Mathew Hayman
Mathew Hayman is an Australian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Hayman is an experienced and respected domestique, as he typically takes on a supporting role within his team.-Palmares:1996...
, Fabian Wegmann
Fabian Wegmann
Fabian Wegmann is a German road racing cyclist, known as a climbing specialist. He is currently riding for UCI ProTeam ....
and Jens Mouris
Jens Mouris
Jens Mouris is a Dutch racing cyclist.Mouris represented the Netherlands at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where he took part in the 4 km team pursuit together with John den Braber, Robert Slippens and Wilco Zuijderwijk. They ended up in seventh position after being lapped by the Ukraine...
had a lead of over 11 minutes. The parcours began to take its toll at this point, and as the chase ramped up in the peloton, the time gap fell precipitously. By the time the ascent of the Sasso Tetto began, Mouris was gapped off and lost more and more time as the day went on, eventually finishing 21 minutes behind the stage winner. Hayman and Wegmann kept the pace for a while, and Wegmann won the day's second climb, the Camerino at 201.8 km (125.4 mi), but eventually only Amador and Malacarne were left out front. The second group on the road eventually reduced itself to just a select group of overall favorites and contenders. Amador attacked first on the finishing circuit, but Malacarne made the bridge. Instead of working together to stay away and let a two-up sprint decide the stage winner, Amador and Malacarne sat on one another's wheels and let their rapidly falling advantage dwindle even further. From the elite group of contenders, Pinotti put in an attack on an uphill section of the finishing circuit that effectively gapped off race leader Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
, who had used up all of his support riders at this point. Gesink finished 17 seconds back on the day, losing the race leadership.
Amador and Malacarne hung on to an advantage of just under two minutes with 10 km (6.2 mi) left to go, meaning they had a chance to stay away. Through a downhill section at 6 km (3.7 mi) to go, their advantage held steady, but the uphill finish was too much for them. They were unaware that Wout Poels
Wout Poels
Wouter Poels is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam .-Career highlights:20082010...
had come clear of the elite group of overall favorites and bridged up to them, and the Dutchman was in first position on the road with 200 m (656.2 ft) to go. But instead of taking the optimal line along the barricades, Poels rode the final meters of the stage in the middle of the road, which gave classics specialist Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
the inside track to pip him at the line for the stage win. Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
and Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca
Danilo Di Luca is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rode for numerous UCI Professional Continental teams throughout his career including Liquigas-Bianchi and . He holds victories in the Giro di Lombardia in 2001, the 2005 UCI ProTour and won both the Giro d'Italia and the spring...
also finished at the front of the race, two seconds ahead of the next group. Malacarne's all-day effort in the breakaway did not go unrewarded, as he became the new leader of the mountains classification. Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
became the new race leader, and he expressed surprise that Gesink had lost it on a day that seemed to suit his strengths.
Stage 5 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 5
|
Stage 6
14 March 2011 – UssitaUssita
Ùssita is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 80 km southwest of Ancona and about 45 km southwest of Macerata.The communal seat is in the frazione of Fluminata.-External links:*...
to Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
, 178 km (110.6 mi)
This course was hilly. The riders rode part of the final kilometer in Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
twice before the actual conclusion of the race, though they only crossed the finish line once. The final kilometer was uphill; the first visit counted as a point-awarding climb and the second was an intermediate sprint.
The first rider to break away for any length of time was 's Borut Božič
Borut Božic
Borut Božič is a Slovenian professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for . Considered a sprinter in the mould of Óscar Freire, Božič's career highlights include winning the 2007 Tour de Wallonie, victory in the first stage of the 2009 Tour de Pologne , winning the sixth stage of the...
, coming clear at the 44 km (27.3 mi) mark. He was joined shortly thereafter by a bridging Bert Grabsch
Bert Grabsch
Bert Grabsch is a German road bicycle racer racing for UCI ProTour squad . He is the younger brother of fellow road racing cyclist Ralf Grabsch, and is a former UCI time trial world champion, having won the title in Varese, Italy on September 25, 2008.He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games...
, and just 6 km (3.7 mi) after Božič's initial escape, the duo had five minutes on the main field. That time gap held steady until the finishing circuits in Macerata began, and the team came forward to lead the chase. The lead was two minutes on the hill climb pass at the end of the first circuit but only 20 seconds on the intermediate sprint at the end of the second, and they were caught not long after.
continued to work to soften up the field. Przemyslaw Niemiec
Przemyslaw Niemiec
Przemysław Niemiec is a Polish road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . He made his professional debut in 2002 for the team Amore e Vita. His biggest wins to date are the 2005 Tour of Slovenia and the 2006 edition of the Tour of Tuscany...
was the first, and with only 1.5 km (0.93205910497471 mi) left, Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego
Damiano Cunego is an Italian professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Italian UCI ProTeam . His biggest wins are the 2004 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Amstel Gold Race, and the Giro di Lombardia in 2004, 2007, 2008. He finished second in the UCI Road World Championships in 2008 and in the...
was the last, as their leader Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
figured to need to take not only the blue jersey but time in hand over race leader Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
should he hope to win the race overall, since Evans is the stronger time trialist. On the final ascent, Scarponi and Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides UCI ProTeam . Born near the Strait of Messina, Nibali's nickname is the "shark of the strait" or simply "the shark." His first major win came at the 2006 GP Ouest-France, where he beat an impressive field on a tough course...
both got clear of the lead group of overall favorites, but both strangely sat up and stopped riding hard, eying one another, after a turn in the road. This allowed Evans and the other top contenders to catch them. With 200 m (656.2 ft) to go, Evans hit the front himself, and never gave up first position, holding on for the stage victory. He confirmed after the stage that he had come in simply hoping to retain the race lead, or at least limit any major losses, but when the opportunity to increase that lead presented itself, he took full advantage.
Stage 6 Result
|
General Classification after Stage 6
|
Stage 7
15 March 2011 – San Benedetto del TrontoSan Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto is a city and comune in Marche, Italy, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It lies on the Adriatic Sea. San Benedetto del Tronto is an important little town on the Marche coast, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast.Located...
, 9.3 km (5.8 mi), individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
(ITT)
The Tirreno–Adriatico ended as its parent race the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
had for the last three seasons, with an individual time trial. San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto
San Benedetto del Tronto is a city and comune in Marche, Italy, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. It lies on the Adriatic Sea. San Benedetto del Tronto is an important little town on the Marche coast, an active fishing port and one of the main seaside resorts on the central Adriatic coast.Located...
in the Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
region played host to a perfectly flat out-and-back ride right along the Adriatic coast.
The winning time came early in the day, from a likely source: four-time world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara
Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist...
stopped the clock in 10'33" about two hours before the race's top overall riders took to the course. Though it did hold up as best, Cancellara said afterward that he was far from certain in his time holding up, considering that he had no reference point. In contrast to the world championships, when he has usually started last as the defending champion and therefore knows the times and splits of his rivals, Cancellara had no such information for this ride. It was Cancellara's first win for and only the second win overall for the team, after the GP Samyn
Le Samyn
Memorial José Samyn is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in March in Fayt-le-Franc, Belgium, starting in Frameries and finishing in Dour. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour...
.
Later, the race's top riders took the course to decide the overall standings. Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
, generally regarded as a poor time trialist, put up his second very strong individual performance in as many races, after having won the ITT at the Tour of Oman
2011 Tour of Oman
The 2011 Tour of Oman is the second edition of the Tour of Oman cycling stage race. It is rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Asia Tour, and held from 15 February to 20 February 2011, in Oman.-Teams:Sixteen teams will compete in the 2011 Tour of Oman...
. He finished ninth on the day, 27 seconds back of Cancellara at an even 11 minutes, and successfully moved up to second in the overall standings. Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
, regarded as solid but unremarkable in the time trial discipline, had a difficult ride, finishing in 11'16" and slipping to fourth overall. Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi
Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case...
did him one second better, at 11'15", but fell short of overtaking even Gesink, let alone race leader Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
, with that time. Italian national champion Marco Pinotti
Marco Pinotti
Marco Pinotti is an Italian road racing cyclist for UCI ProTeam . Pinotti is a specialist of individual time trial, in which he is a five-time Italian Time Trial Champion ....
finished sixth both in the time trial and the race overall, coming in at 10'57" on the day. As race leader, Evans was the last man on course, and he clocked in at 11'04", ceding four seconds to Gesink in 12th place on the day, but this was sufficient for him to win the race overall. He knew Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali
Vincenzo Nibali is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who rides UCI ProTeam . Born near the Strait of Messina, Nibali's nickname is the "shark of the strait" or simply "the shark." His first major win came at the 2006 GP Ouest-France, where he beat an impressive field on a tough course...
's time, which was 11'14", before he began his ride, but not any of the others of his rivals. Evans became the first rider from the southern hemisphere to win Tirreno–Adriatico. Third place finisher Scarponi won the points classification, having taken the jersey from Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar
Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season...
after stage 6. Gesink took home the white jersey, having led the youth classification for the entire race. Stage 5 breakaway man Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne
Davide Malacarne is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Quick Step.-Palmares:20102011-External links:...
was the winner of the mountains classification, and Basso and Nibali's squad won the team award.
Stage 7 Result
|
Final General Classification
|
Classification leadership table
In the Tirreno-Adriatico, four different jerseys were awarded. For the general classification, calculated by adding each cyclist's finishing times on each stage, and allowing time bonuses in intermediate sprints and at the finish in mass-start stages, the leader received a blue jersey. This classification was considered the most important of the Tirreno-Adriatico, and the winner was considered the winner of the race itself.Additionally, there was a points classification, which awarded a red jersey. In the points classification, cyclists got points for finishing in the top ten in a stage. The stage win awarded 12 points, second place awarded 10 points, third 8, and one point fewer per place down the line, to a single point for tenth. In addition, the first four riders across the intermediate sprint lines earned points, 5, 3, 2, and 1 in succession.
There is also a mountains classification, which awarded a green jersey. In the mountains classifications, points were won by reaching the top of a mountain before other cyclists. There were sixteen recognized climbs in the race. Unlike most other races, the climbs were not separated into categories – each awarded the same points to the first five riders over its summit.
The fourth jersey represented the young rider classification, which awarded a white jersey. This was decided the same way as the general classification, but only riders born after 1 January 1986 are eligible.
| Stage | Winner | General Classification |
Points Classification |
Mountains Classification |
Young Riders Classification |
Team Classification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lars Boom Lars Boom Lars Anthonius Johannes Boom is a professional cyclo-cross and road racing cyclist who was born in Vlijmen in the Netherlands. Boom rides for UCI ProTeam Rabobank cycling team, having previous ridden for the junior and continental teams. Boom won the cyclo-cross world championships in 2008... |
no award | no award | Robert Gesink Robert Gesink Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in... |
||
| 2 | Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season... |
Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season... |
Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar Tyler Farrar is an American professional road racing cyclist since 2003.-Cycling career:Farrar started racing at 13, and rode for in 2003, in 2004, and in 2006 and 2007. In April 2006 he crashed near the finish of the Circuit de la Sarthe and broke his collarbone and missed most of the season... |
Javier Aramendia Javier Aramendia Francisco Javier Aramendia Llorente is a Spanish road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Euskaltel-Euskadi.- External links :... |
||
| 3 | Juan José Haedo Juan José Haedo Juan José Haedo is an Argentine professional road racing cyclist and former track cyclist on . He is the brother of Lucas Sebastian Haedo... |
|||||
| 4 | Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case... |
Robert Gesink Robert Gesink Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in... |
||||
| 5 | Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist... |
Cadel Evans Cadel Evans Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in... |
Davide Malacarne Davide Malacarne Davide Malacarne is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Quick Step.-Palmares:20102011-External links:... |
|||
| 6 | Cadel Evans Cadel Evans Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in... |
Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case... |
||||
| 7 | Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara Fabian Cancellara is a Swiss professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . A time trial specialist, he is a four-time World Time Trial Champion and is the current Olympic gold medalist... |
|||||
| Final |
Cadel Evans Cadel Evans Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in... |
Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi Michele Scarponi is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI ProTeam .In 2006, Scarponi was implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case... |
Davide Malacarne Davide Malacarne Davide Malacarne is an Italian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Quick Step.-Palmares:20102011-External links:... |
Robert Gesink Robert Gesink Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in... |
||