Tirreno-Adriatico 2016: Van Avermaet outsprints Sagan and takes leaders jersey in stage 6

At 210 kilometres, stage 6 in the Tirreno-Adriatico leads to a closing circuit on rolling roads and eventually a slightly uphill arrival. A super front group with Sagan, Van Avermaet, Kwiatkowski and leader Stybar is off with 20 kilometres left. Eventually it boils down to a sprint-a-deux between Van Avermaet and Sagan with the Belgian outperforming the World Champion and taking the leaders jersey. (Slideshow route/profile)

Results stage 6 Tirreno-Adriatico

1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Peter Sagan (svk) s.t.
3. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) + 0.02
4. Zdenek Stybar (cze) + 0.04
5. Caleb Ewan (aus) + 0.07
6. Alejandro Valverde (spa) s.t.
7. Sacha Modolo (ita) s.t.
8. Jurgen Roelandts (bel) s.t.
9. Sonny Colbrelli (ita) s.t.
10. Moreno Hofland (nld) s.t.

GC after stage 6
1. Greg Van Avermaet (bel)
2. Zdenek Stybar (cze) + 0.07
3. Peter Sagan (svk) + 0.08
4. Bob Jungels (lux) + 0.21
5. Gianluca Brambilla (ita) s.t.
6. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.28
7. Sebastien Reichenbach (swi) s.t.
8. Roman Kreuziger (cze) + 0.30
9. Michal Kwiatkowski (pol) + 0.31
10. Vincenzo Nibali (ita) + 0.34

Race report
With 15 kms done the break of the day is gone. Selvaggi, Agnoli, Pirazzi, Vilela, Mihailov and Zurlo race to a 6 minutes lead. Then Orica-GreenEdge takes control in the pack to bring the gap down and with 23 kms left the break is done.

At the first passage on the line Sagan takes a time bonus at 3 seconds, Van Avermaet is second taking 2. As there is a gap behind them they power on in the company of leader Stybar, Gaviria, Trentin, Gatto, Bennati and Kwiatkowski. The super front group races to a maximum lead of half a minute. With the peloton coming closer towards the end Gaviria, Bennati and Trentin are dropped.

Kwiatkowski sets a very high pace in the final kilometre, fragmenting the front group. Basically, Van Avermaet and Sagan are the only ones left in his wheel when the World Champion powers away, trailed by Van Avermaet who bests him in the last metres.