Tirreno-Adriatico is a week-long stage race that previews the fitness and form of riders who hope to contend in longer Grand Tours later in the season. It features a mix of flat stages designed for sprinters, long days that favor a one-day classics rider, and a big mountains stage that favors pure climbers.
Tirreno-Adriatico History
This race is sometimes called "the race of two seas", as it runs between Italian coastlines. Simon Yates is the defending champion.
Tirreno-Adriatico Preview
Contenders for the overall on the start list include Egan Bernal, Tadej Pogačar, and Nairo Quintana. With a few stages designed for sprinters, this race has also attracted some top sprint talent, including Fernando Gaviria and Elia Viviani, who will compete for stage wins on the flatter stages.
Peter Sagan, who was sidelined with COVID-19 earlier this year, will also be in attendance.
Finally, there's some unknown named Mathieu van der Poel (just kidding) who seems to be a threat to win almost any bike race where he takes the start.
Tirreno-Adriatico 2021 Stage 1 results
Cyclocross superstar Wout van Aert wasted no time recovering from Strade Bianche. He won stage 1 of the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico in a big bunch sprint, topping name sprinters like Caleb Ewen, to take the overall lead.
Based on his comments in the press, van Aert fancies himself as a possible GC winner. We saw in the 2020 Tour de France that his climbing abilities exceeded expectations, so this isn't out of the question.
Tirreno-Adriatico 2021 Live Stream
The live streaming for the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico is carried on GCN+ "Race TV" subscription package.