Matteo Pelucchi: Tirreno-Adriatico's surprise sprint winner
Mark Cavendish out of the action as Marcel Kittel crashes in final two kilometres of stage two
When the IAM Cycling crossed the finish line he forced many at Tirreno-Adriatico to look down at their start list. Number 87: Matteo Pelucchi, an Italian from Lecco. Most fan had expected one of the big names, like Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) or Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) to win today in Tuscany.
"I told myself at the start that a top five would be a good result," Pelucchi said. "I didn't expect I'd win."
Kittel picked up and slammed his bike down in frustration. He cracked his handlebars leading into the sprint when he hit a hole and at 2.5 kilometres out, they were no longer strong enough to support him.
"I broke the right side of my handlebar and I crashed," Kittel said. "That's the story, no more. I was good, the team was good and we were confident."
"I was behind Kittel with two kilometres to go when he crashed," Cavendish explained. "Ahhh. After that it was difficult to get back up to the front. I had some help from some gentlemen in the peloton but I was tired."
Cavendish left Tirreno-Adriatico without a win last year. It was his first season in Belgium's Omega Pharma team and he experienced some growing pains. The team brought in Alessandro Petacchi last summer and signed his former Highroad lead-out man, Mark Renshaw for this year.
A win today with Omega's newly-tuned train could have given Cavendish added confidence ahead of Milano-San Remo next Sunday. Instead of the black and white team, Tinkoff-Saxo and FDJ led over the roads close to Cavendish's Italian base in Quarrata.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
"We wanted to be ahead earlier but we worked all day. It's not easy," Petacchi said. "Renshaw also almost crashed. Maybe Mark was left behind in that moment. Saxo attacked. We were all lined out and it was hard to remount. When I saw Mark, I tried, but by then it was too late."
Cavendish, still wearing the blue leader's jersey from yesterday's team trial win, placed 17th.
"The plan was to come late as possible," Omega Pharma sports director, Brian Holm said. "Maybe it looks good on the television when you start at 10 kilometres out but trust me that's not an advantage. The later you can start a sprint the better. Giant-Shimano did pretty well last year, they could wait and wait and they beat us on and off."
Cavendish will have a harder time tomorrow because the stage ends with an uphill kick and with cobblestones in Arezzo's centre. Last year, just outside of town in a town in Indicatore, Cavendish's train derailed and Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEDdge) won. If he fails tomorrow, Monday's stage to Porto Sant'Elpidio will offer his last chance to lock horns with the big guns like Kittel.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
'All he had to do was say sorry' - Cyclist wins court case and £4k after being hit by driver
Harry Gray plans to spend his compensation on 'the trip of a lifetime'
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mathieu van der Poel to race 11 cyclocross races this season, from the Zonohoven World Cup to the World Championships
Dutchman to defend his world title in northern France at beginning of February
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tweets of the week: What's next for Mark Cavendish?
It's the question on everyone's lips
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'He understands speed' - Alex Dowsett hired as Astana Qazaqstan performance engineer, after Mark Cavendish recommendation
Brit part of new fleet brought in to bolster WorldTour squad
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mark Cavendish wins final race and officially retires
'I couldn't have wished for a better send off,' says 39-year-old after sprinting to victory at the Singapore Criterium
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I have achieved everything that I can' - Mark Cavendish confirms retirement and final race
Brit chooses Sunday's Singapore Criterium for his swan song
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Demi Vollering rescues a goat, Mark Cavendish does martial arts, and Wout van Aert sings as a squirrel
It's been a particularly surreal week on social media
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins to reunite on the bike to raise money for US hurricane relief
The British knights will be joined by Jan Ullrich at the Gran Fondo Hincapie next week
By Adam Becket Published
-
'One of the boys thinks I’ll be walking about in armour': Mark Cavendish knighted in ceremony at Windsor Castle
Manxman says he was “nervous” after being made a Knight Commander by Prince William
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
21 things you didn't know about Mark Cavendish
From working in a bank to breaking records on the Champs-Élysées
By Tom Thewlis Last updated