Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Peter Sagan sprints to rainy victory

Stage 6 of the Tirreno goes in 210 rainy kilometres to Porto Sant'Elpidio, on the Adriatic coast. The conditions are that poor a lot of sprinters take it slow and are dropped from the bunch at the only climb halfway. But not Peter Sagan. In Porto Sant'Elpidio he pops out of the drabness of the day and sprints to a mighty victory. Quintana retains the overall lead. (Slideshow route/profile)

Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Results 6th stage

1. Peter Sagan (svk)
2. Gerarld Ciolek (ger) s.t.
3. Jens Debusschere (bel) s.t.
4. Magnus Cort Nielsen (den) s.t.
5. Maximiliano Richeze (arg) s.t.
6. Edvald Boasson Hagen (nor) s.t.
7. Nikias Arndt (ger) s.t.
8. Sam Bennett (irl) s.t.
9. Ramunas Navardauskas (lit) s.t.
10. Alexey Lutsenko (kaz) s.t.

GC after stage 6
1. Nairo Quintana (col)
2. Bauke Mollema (nld) +0.39
3. Rigoberto Uran (col) + 0.48
4. Thibaut Pinot (fra) + 0.57
5. Alberto Contador (spa) + 1.03
6. Adam Yates (gbr) + 1.04
7. Domenico Pozzovivo (ita) + 1.06
8. Joaquim Rodriguez (spa) + 1.07
9. Steven Cummings (gbr) + 1.12
10. Wout Poels (nld) + 1.131.

Race Report
In wet and cold conditions Devolder, Vanotti and Arashiro escape the pack and they race to a 6 minutes gain.

Atop the Montelparo the trio enjoys a 1’50” advantage, meaning the last KOM points have been divided. Colombian Quintero is the king of the mountains in the Tirreno.

The peloton is been torn apart at the climb and there is only 30 riders left in the first chasing group. But with 50 km’s to go the pack is back together again, except for a bunch of sprinters who are pedalling at 5 minutes, amongst them Cavendish, Modolo and Farrar.

With 35 km’s left Vanotti is off for the second time. After 10 kilometres he is accompanied by Vuillermoz, who swings off 8 kilometres later. Still it won’t be his party since he is gobbled up by the pack with 3 km’s left.

MTN-Qhuebeka is setting the pace for the last kilometres, but it is Peter Sagan who takes the stage in style. Shouting victory in the bright Tinkoff-colours he celebrates.