For the third time in a row, the Race of the Two Seas starts with a team trial in Lido di Camaiore. The race on the Tyrrhenian coast has seen BMC triumph for the last two years.
The route is almost a copy of last year’s TTT. It’s slightly shorter, but that’s the only difference and the essence is the same. The opening stage is played out on long straight roads. Only four 90-degree turns halfway, so we can expect high speeds.
Last year, BMC won the race 17 seconds ahead of Quick-Step Floors and 22 seconds ahead of FDJ and Movistar. So Nairo Quintana was in a perfect position to win the overall, which he did. Sky’s leader Geraint Thomas was forced to chase from day one onward as Sky was plagued by punctures and lost 1’42” on the TTT. Eventually, Thomas finished almost 1 minute down on Quintana.
Lido di Camaiore is a borough belonging to Camaiore, where pro-cycling race Gran Premio Città di Camaiore has been held from 1966 to 2014. Diego Ullisi was the last winner before the race was discontinued.
Read also: results/report 1st stage 2018 Tirreno-Adriatico.
Tirreno-Adriatico 2018 stage 1: Route maps, height profiles, and more
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