Dirt roads and rain combo result in important gaps between the contenders at the Italian race.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site of San Gimignano welcomed the Tirreno-Adriatico peloton on the second day of the race, but the medieval town, renowned for its stunning 14 tower-houses, wasn’t the main highlight of the stage. Instead, everyone’s attention was drawn to a 5km gravel stretch that appeared inside the final ten kilometers, and rightly so, as it was there that the main selection occurred, leading to a notable reshuffling of the general classification.
Tuesday’s route was divided into two sections: a completely flat one followed by a series of hills that made for an elevation gain of 2300 meters. A four-man breakaway, whose advantage hovered around three minutes the entire time, enlivened the stage until the closing hour, when they were overhauled by the peloton. As anticipated, the race truly came to life as the riders faced the demanding dirt roads, a challenge further complicated by the rain that began to fall in the last 20 kilometers.
Following a sharp left-hand turn on the ascent that marked the start of the gravel sector, the peloton fractured, with Soudal Quick-Step’s Classic runner-up Laurenz Rex making it into the first selection. A massive injection of pace at the front narrowed the lead group down to just three riders, from which the eventual winner emerged: Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), who claimed the victory on the historic streets of San Gimignano.
Ultimately, it was Louis Vervaeke who came home as our best-placed rider in the stage, while his compatriot Ilan Van Wilder improved his position on the general classification, now sitting approximately 15 seconds from breaking into the top ten at the “Race of the Two Seas”.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
