Classics specialists clash with GC contenders on the gravel, sprinters showdown and more – things to look out for at Tirreno-Adriatico

Tirreno-Adriatico
9-15 March
1,166km
Italy

A key preparation race for the Classics and Grand Tours, Tirreno-Adriatico is where riders look to test their form ahead of the major races, with the route often lending itself to a variety of rider types. A prestigious race in its own right, the ‘Race of the Two Seas’ is second only to the Giro d’Italia when it comes to Italian stage races, with both races being organised by RCS Sport.

Though winning this race is far from a guarantee of success later in the season, it is certainly the mark of a strong rider, as Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, Primož Roglič and Simon Yates have all won the general classification here in recent editions. Last year, Juan Ayuso secured the coveted trident trophy and maglia azzurra, as he took the overall victory, but the Spaniard will not be in attendance to defend his title in 2026.

Here’s everything to look out for at this year’s race.

Classics specialists clash ahead of Milan-San Remo

Sandwiched amongst the Spring Classics, Tirreno-Adriatico is often used by many of the top riders as preparation ahead of the major one-day races. This year’s race is no exception, with Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert, Filippo Ganna and Julian Alaphilippe all in attendance as they prepare for the first Monument of the season, with Milan-San Remo less than two weeks away. We can certainly expect to see some of them mixing it up on stages 2 and 4, which should lend themselves to the more versatile riders in the bunch. Ganna won stage one's time trial.

Can Del Toro escape Pogačar’s shadow?

After playing second fiddle to Tadej Pogačar in UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s dominant performance at Strade Bianche on Saturday, Isaac del Toro will be relishing the opportunity of sole leadership at Tirreno-Adriatico this week, as he looks to add another stage race to his win tally after his overall victory at the UAE Tour in February. It will certainly be interesting to see how the Mexican rider fares without the shadow of the World Champion looming over him.

Jorgenson opts against Paris-Nice defence

With Paris-Nice occurring concurrently, Matteo Jorgenson has opted not to defend his overall title at the ‘Race to the Sun’ after winning the previous two editions, as he leads Visma-Lease a Bike at Tirreno-Adriatico in his first stage race of the season. Jonas Vingegaard’s presence at the French stage race may have influenced his decision, as similarly to Del Toro at UAE Team Emirates-XRG, the American rider also has to look for opportunities where he can be the sole leader.

Will the GC contenders have it all their own way?

Without a major summit finish at this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, it could leave the race open to a wider range of riders to contest the general classification, as some puncheurs may look to challenge the GC specialists on the short uphill finishes. This race has often seen some less conventional GC podiums, with Filippo Ganna and Wout van Aert both finishing second overall in recent editions.

Sprint showdown for the fast men

With the route of Paris-Nice largely absent of opportunities for the sprinters, many of the fast men have come to Tirreno-Adriatico in search of victories. Jasper Philipsen is one such sprinter, as he will look to make the most of having Mathieu van der Poel as his leadout man. The Alpecin-Premier Tech duo will have competition from Lidl-Trek and Jonathan Milan, who has won two stages and the points classification in each of the last two editions of this race.

Paul Magnier, Tobias Lund Andresen and Arnaud De Lie will also be looking to contest the sprints throughout the week, with all of them perhaps having an eye on stage 4, which should favour the more versatile sprinters. Meanwhile, Sam Welsford and Danny van Poppel will be looking to keep their powder dry for the final stage, which features a pan-flat circuit around San Benedetto del Tronto.

Focus on the sterrato

After Strade Bianche on Saturday, the riders will return to the white roads of Tuscany on stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico, as they tackle the sterrato on the final climb to the finish at San Gimignano. The terrain will bring the likes of Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert into competition with Isaac del Toro for the stage victory, whilst the many of the other GC contenders will look to limit their losses on the 5km-long gravel section before the final uphill kick in the final kilometre.

With no major summit finish at this year’s race, these short punchy uphill finishes have the potential to be decisive in the overall outcome of the race, meaning that those hoping to contest the general classification will have to stay towards the front and go on the attack in an attempt to gain time on their rivals.

The route

How to watch

All stages of Tirreno-Adriatico will be live on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland, accessible via a TV package or a Discovery+ subscription. Find out more in our how to watch Tirreno-Adriatico guide.

Last year’s podium

1. Juan Ayuso (Spa) UAE Team Emirates-XRG
2. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers
3. Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Bahrain Victorious

Riders to watch

Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) *****

With a full team behind him and a route that suits his punchy characteristics, Isaac del Toro is the clear favourite going into this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico. The 22-year-old has already finished fourth overall at this race in his neo-pro season in 2024 and has gone from strength to strength since that point. After the time trial on the opening stage, his focus will predominantly be on the uphill finishes on stages 2, 5 and 6, where the young Mexican rider will inevitably look to gain time on the rest of the GC contenders.

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) ****

Making his season debut at Tirreno-Adriatico is Primož Roglič, who will be looking to rediscover his stage racing form, following a difficult end to last season after he crashed at the Giro d’Italia, which ultimately forced him to abandon the race. Having won this race overall twice previously, it is clearly one that the Slovenian rider enjoys riding and the punchy uphill finishes should suit him well. He will be alongside Giulio Pellizzari and Jai Hindley as part of a strong and versatile Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe squad.

Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) ***

A strong start to the season for Antonio Tiberi saw him finish fourth overall at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and runner-up behind Isaac del Toro on the general classification at the UAE Tour. The Italian rider will therefore be looking to continue his strong run of form on home soil at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he finished third overall last year. Though he would have probably preferred a more challenging summit finish on one of the stages, the route is far from unsuited to his characteristics.

Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) ***

Despite Filippo Ganna’s incredible ride to finish second overall at last year’s race, it is likely that we will see Thymen Arensman lead Ineos Grenadiers at Tirreno-Adriatico. He is another rider that would have probably preferred a long summit finish to really make a difference in the general classification, but his strong credentials against the clock means that the opening time trial will certainly favour him. The Dutchman also tends to fare well on the steeper climbs, so expect to see him up towards the front on the harsh gradients in the final kilometres of stages 5 and 6.

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) ***

Having won the last two editions of Paris-Nice, it was perhaps a slight surprise to see Matteo Jorgenson’s name on the start list for Tirreno-Adriatico, as he rides his first stage race of the season after some strong performances in one-day races already this year. With Wout van Aert alongside him for Visma-Lease a Bike, he will certainly be well-supported throughout the week, but whether he will have the punch to challenge the likes of Del Toro on some of the uphill finishes is less of a certainty.

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) ***

After his incredible season in 2025, where he finished ninth overall at the Tour de France, Ben Healy will definitely be a rider to watch out for in stage races this season. Few races will suit him as well as this year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico, as the absence of any major summit finishes will certainly be an advantage for the Irishman, with the punchy finales likely to suit his characteristics perfectly.