Stage 6 proved Greg Van Avermaet is no longer just a second-place rider with yet another convincing victory in his pocket. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The 2016 editon of the “Race of the Two Seas” commenced with a team time trial in Lido di Camaiore where world champion Peter Sagan warmed up with his teammate under watchful eyes. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The BMC Racing team showed why it is the current world champion in the TTT with a win in the opening stage at the 2016 Tirreno-Adriatico. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Foreshadowing things to come later in the race, Greg Van Avermaet of BMC Racing soaked in the team time trial victory before heading backstage for podium ceremonies. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Reminiscent of last year’s start in Camaiore center, stage 2 started with a cold, brisk wind where even the Tirreno-Adriatico staff tried to keep warm. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The peloton rolled out through the narrow terracotta alleys of Camaiore with the mountains in the distance. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The head of the race rolled through the Tuscan hills under darkening skies on its way to the last steep stretch of 15 percent road, just 4km from the finish. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida), Gianluca Brambilla (Etixx – Quick-Step), and Oscar Gatto (Tinkoff) make the first attacks near the summit of the KOM in Pomarance before being counterattacked. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Zdenek Stybar took victory in stage 2 with an attack in the final kilometers and also grabbed the race lead in Pomarance. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Showcasing their spoils of the day, young Tuscan fans proved their race savvy by waiting for bottles on the last climb of the day. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Rigoberto Uran fully embraced his team’s mantra and nickname, sporting some snazzy argyle socks at the start of stage 3. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Stybar and Jungels of Etixx – Quick-Step carried the leaders jerseys of overall race lead and best young rider on stage 3. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
World champion Peter Sagan arrived at the 2016 Tirreno-Adriatico in good form and always under escort of his Tinkoff team. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
One of the new stars on the sprinting scene is Fernando Gaviria who took a commanding win on stage 4 in Montalto di Castro. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Far back from the sprint line, Etixx – Quick-Step soigneurs rejoiced in their team’s victory by the young Colombian Fernando Gaviria. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
With the maglia rosso on his back, Peter Sagan was in good spirits at the start of stage 4 in Montalto di Castro. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The peloton rolled out through the colorful village center in Montalto di Castro under blue skies. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Fabian Cancellara led the race up the last pass of the Monetfalco climb with a max gradient of 18 percent at 15km from the finish line in Foligno. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The podium ceremonies in Italy are always full of surprises, and stage 4 in Foligno was no exception. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Race leader Stybar took a moment on the podium to snap a selfie with the lovely ladies on stage. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
With dangerous weather predictions looming for stage 5 and a cautious race organizer reacting to the recent Paris-Nice events, stage 5 was cancelled allowing riders to regroup and rest on the “tappa annulata.” Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Stage 6 to Cepagatti traversed the hills of Le Marche on its way toward the Adriatic coast of Italy. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Two finishing circuits with an undulating profile in Cepagatti gave the protagonists a perfect launching pad to attack race leader Stybar. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
The long snaking line of the peloton was a clear indicator of the pressure being put on at the front of the race. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
With Stybar in arrears, Greg Van Avermaet and Sagan battled it out for the stage win and the overall race lead, Van Avermaet getting the better of Sagan on both counts. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Stage 6 proved Greg Van Avermaet is no longer just a second-place rider with yet another convincing victory in his pocket. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Pain and disappointment on the face of Zdenek Stybar as he had to watch the race leave him on the uphill sprint into Cepagatti. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Peter Sagan came in second on the day’s finale but gave good show on the podium nonetheless with his freshly shaven legs — a topic we can finally put to rest. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Moments before Fabian Cancellara’s start in the stage 7 time trial he was completely in the zone. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Just as he did a year ago, Fabian Cancellara stormed the final time trial in San Benedetto del Tronto to take the stage win. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Race leader Greg Van Avermaet warmed up adjacent to teammate Tejay van Garderen who came into the race as the BMC Racing squad’s GC contender. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Peter Sagan rolled back to the podium after coming up short in his time trial — just missing the overall win by one second. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
With his time trial done, all Peter Sagan could do was stand and watch the clock as he waited for Van Avermaet to arrive. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Van Avermaet gave everything he had on the short time trial course in San Benedetto del Tronto and it was just enough as he bested Sagan by a mere second. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Third-place overall finisher and best young rider Bob Jungels (Etixx – Quick-Step) tossed the bouquet as winner Van Avermaet looked on. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
Van Avermaet took home the golden trident and the overall victory in the 2016 Tirreno-Adriatico. Photo: Jim Fryer / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
BMC Racing’s Greg Van Avermaet brandished the gilded spear amidst the sea of blue. Photo: Iri Greco / BrakeThrough Media | brakethroughmedia.com
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