Tirreno-Adriatico 2023: Fabio Jakobsen wins stage two after late surge for the line

Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal Quick-Step) put in a huge final kick to win stage two of Tirreno-Adriatico. 

On a slight uphill drag to the finish line, Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) was the first to launch a move looking to outfox the likes of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AIUla). 

However, when Jakobsen finally went, there would be no stopping him as he caught and rounded Gaviria and Philipsen to take a superb victory. Philipsen finished in second, taking Alpecin-Deceuninck’s first podium place of 2023, and Gaviria took third.

Bimian Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) was also in the thick of the action, taking fourth place ahead of Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates)

After finishing safely within the main field, Filippo Ganna retained the blue jersey of the overall leader. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

After Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) decimated the field to win the opening time trial, Tuesday’s stage two would be a long, relatively flat affair with 210 kilometres on the menu between Camaiore and Follonica. A day for the sprinters, and Ganna was largely expected to hold onto his overall lead. 

Once the flag dropped, a small breakaway consisting of Eolo Kometa duo Davide Bais and Mirco Maestri, Stefano Gandin and Alessandro Iacchi (Corratec) and Roland Thalman (Tudor) soon got up the road, and with just over 100 kilometres to go, held a gap of two minutes back to the peloton led by Soudal Quick-Step. 

With 60 kilometres left to race, the breakaway was starting to crumble with both Iacchi and Gandin dropping back before being swiftly swallowed up by the rampaging peloton. All of the sprinters teams, including Jayco-AIUla and Soudal Quick-Step, were already beginning to amass on the front of the bunch with one eye to the finish in Follonica. 

As the riders flew past the 43 kilometre marker, Dylan Groenewegen was clearly feeling strong, and consequently Jayco-AIUla had their full team on the front of the bunch which whittled the gap to the leaders down to just 42 seconds. It was all in for the finish, and things were starting to get hectic. 

Due to the high pace, things started to get panicky at the back of the main field, and with 31 kilometres to go Simon Pellaud (Tudor) was on the deck after touching wheels with Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies). 

21 kilometres to go, and the race leaders were still hanging on by just ten seconds. A brief finishing circuit featuring some small hills was on the menu which the riders would head through twice. Not long after they passed the finish line for the first time, the remnants of the break were swept up by the main field led by Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers. 

As the race approached l’Impostino, one of the small hills, Jumbo-Visma and Intermarché-Circus-Wanty were wrestling on the front of the peloton, looking to potentially provide a launch pad for Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay to go from distance. Although it would ultimately come to nothing thanks to sterling work from Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step) who snuffed out any possibilities of attacks in service of his teammate Fabio Jakobsen.

Three kilometres to go, and Alaphilippe put in one huge final turn as Quick-Step looked to swamp the front of the field. Movistar were well and truly in the mix, and once the slight uphill to the finish arrived, Fernando Gaviria launched an early jump for the line.

However, Gaviria went too early and was soon passed by a rampaging Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who sailed past him at speed. It looked like it would be the Belgian’s day, until Fabio Jakobsen timed his sprint to perfection passing Philipsen to take the win on the line.

After finishing safely within the main field, Ganna retained the overall lead.  

Stage two results, Camaiore - Follonica, 210 km 

1. Fabio Jakobsen (NED) Soudal Quick-Step, in 05-06-33
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Deceuninck,
3. Fernando Gaviria (COL) Movistar,
4. Bimian Girmay (ERI) Intermarché-Circus-Wanty,
5. Juan Sebastian Molano (COL) UAE Team Emirates,
6. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious,
7. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jayco-AIUla,
8. Simone Consonni (ITA) Cofidis,
9. Jordi Meeus (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe,
10. Nacer Bouhanni (FRA) Arkea-Samsic, all same time

General classification after stage two 

1. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 12-28
2.Lennard Kamna (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe), at 28s
3. Magnus Sheffield (USA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 31s
4. Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates, at 34s
5. Thymen Arensman (NED) Ineos Grenadiers, at 39s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE Team Emirates, at 41s
7. Andreas Leknessund (NOR) DSM, at same time
8. Phillip Casper Pedersen (DEN) Soudal Quick-Step, at 47s
9. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 48s
10. Aleksey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Qazaqstan, at same time