The start list has been confirmed, the route is set, and anticipation is building for the 60th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico Crédit Agricole, which begins tomorrow in Lido di Camaiore. Across seven stages, the peloton will tackle a mix of time trialling, sprint finishes, rolling terrain, and tough mountain days as they battle for the Trident of Neptune.
Mathieu van der Poel, the defending champion and three-time stage winner, wears bib number 1 and arrives fresh from a dominant win at GP Le Samyn. Among the stage hunters, Filippo Ganna (three-time stage winner), Jonathan Milan (two wins), and the likes of Biniam Girmay, Thomas Pidcock, Olav Kooij, Dylan Groenewegen, and Pascal Ackermann are all looking to make their mark. Meanwhile, riders like Ben Healy, Marc Hirschi, Magnus Cort Nielsen, and Paul Magnier add further depth to a stacked start list.
The general classification battle looks just as fierce, with Juan Ayuso and Jai Hindley—who finished second and third in 2024—among the main contenders. They will face stiff competition from Adam Yates, Richard Carapaz, Mikel Landa, David Gaudu, Antonio Tiberi, Giulio Ciccone, Pello Bilbao, and Derek Gee. Former winners Nairo Quintana (2015, 2017), Michal Kwiatkowski (2018), and Simon Yates (2020) also return, with Yates making his debut for Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
Before the racing begins with the 11.5km individual time trial in Lido di Camaiore, six of the top contenders—Van der Poel, Ayuso, Ganna, Hindley, Pidcock, and Milan—spoke to the press, giving their thoughts on their form, ambitions, and expectations for the week ahead.
Photo Credit: LaPresseMathieu van der Poel: “I need some racing now”
The Dutchman is eager to pin on a number and sharpen up ahead of the classics. “Feeling good in training, I just want to go out and race. You take up cycling for racing, not for training,” he said. “A stage race like Tirreno-Adriatico helps me to find my best shape for the classics. I like to race with Jasper [Philipsen], but this time it gives me a purpose to try and grab one myself.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseJuan Ayuso: “I’ll go all in”
The Spanish climber has his eyes on the overall, but isn’t keen to label himself the outright favourite. “Basically, I consider myself a climber and I’ve worked towards more climbing for the Giro d’Italia, but I don’t think I’ve lost anything in time trial,” he said. “I got an amazing result last year in this opening stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Even if I’m not as good tomorrow, there will be no issue, but it’s an opportunity to try and get some time, and I’ll go all in. I don’t like to see myself as the favourite this year. We come with the ambition to win the overall, we also have Adam Yates, but it’s a very hard race to win with strong riders at the start.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseJonathan Milan: “I’m here for a good build-up”
The Italian sprinter is balancing form-building with racing for results. “It’s difficult to compare the different seasons, I’m here for a good build-up of my condition and for doing some good sprints. The ITT is not super long, I’ll do my best, but there are strong competitors like Filippo [Ganna] and [Juan] Ayuso.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseThomas Pidcock: “Hopefully it’ll be a hard week of racing”
After a tough day at Strade Bianche, the Briton is still feeling the effort. “I feel a bit tired after Strade Bianche, to be honest. Before Milano-Sanremo, Tirreno-Adriatico offers some opportunities. I’ll go full gas against the clock, but I don’t expect any amazing result. Hopefully, it’ll be a hard week of racing after the opening TT.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseFilippo Ganna: “This is my Tirreno-Adriatico number 10”
The Italian powerhouse knows what to expect from the race. “Tirreno-Adriatico is one of my favourite races. Every time I suffer a lot, but I find good shape. This is my Tirreno-Adriatico number 10, so I can say that I’m old… It’s a nice time trial to start with. Fingers crossed.”
Photo Credit: LaPresseJai Hindley: “The hilltop finish will be decisive”
The Australian is looking to be in the mix for the general classification. “Tirreno-Adriatico is a super nice race, I love to do it every year. For the rest of the season, it’s one of the nicest races to do. I’m happy to be back here, I hope for good legs this week and to fight for GC. The hilltop finish on the second last day will be decisive.”
The talking stops tomorrow as the racing begins with the opening 11.5km time trial in Lido di Camaiore.
Main photo credit: LaPresse
