Shortly after the start the first hills appears. The climb to Recanati is 5.9 kilometres and averages 4.1%. Which sets the tone. The riders travel from one climb to the next. The Santa Maria del Monte is the steepest intermediate test – 1.4 kilometres at 9.6% -, which is foreshadowing the hardships to come in the finale.
The riders cross the line for the first time after 91 kilometres. Three laps of almost 35 kilometres round out the route.
Each lap begins with the climb to Offagna – 1.3 kilometres at 4.1% – before the downhill to Osimo Stazione leads onto a 2.1 kilometres climb at 5.7%. But the actual cycling bonanza happens in the last kilometres of the circuit and, obviously, especially in the last lap.
The welcoming committee in the medieval town is a cobbled ramp of 250 metres with its steepest stretch at a whooping 16%. The riders fly down a tricky slope and following a narrow section the route climbs up Via Olimpia – 600 metres and averaging 12.4%. Positioning is crucial. Via Olimpia continues onto the flat and the riders enter the old town through a narrow passage. A cobbled climb of 600 metres at 10% leads to the final 400 metres before the finish is at Piazza del Comune.
The 2018 Giro d’Italia served the exact same finale. Simon Yates attacked with 1.5 kilometres to go and Tom Dumoulin set off in pursuit. The Dutchman didn’t make the catch and Yates won the race with a margin of 2 seconds. Davide Formolo came in third, another 3 seconds further behind. The rest of the field was blow to pieces and the other riders stumbed across the line one after the other.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds, while the intermediate sprint comes with 3, 2 and 1 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 6 Tirreno-Adriatico 2023.
Another interesting read: results 6th stage 2023 Tirreno-Adriatico.
Tirreno-Adriatico 2023 stage 6: routes, profiles, more
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