March 11/13 16:15 pm - Tirreno - Adriatico: Stage 6

Posted by Editoress on 03/11/13
 

A swashbuckling breakaway by Peter Sagan (Cannondale Pro Cycling), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team) and Joaquín Rodríguez (Katusha) brought Sagan his second stage win of the 2013 Tirreno - Adriatico. Vincenzo Nibali, 2nd in the stage, took the race lead by the substantial margin of 34 seconds over previous Blue Jersey Christopher Froome (Sky Procycling), who could only finish 19th, at the back of a group of riders who finished at 50 seconds.

Peter Sagan leads Joaquim Rodriguez and Vincenzo Nibali

After scaling the 27% gradients of Sant’Elpidio a Mare, 18 km from the finish line, among the leaders, Sagan flashed away on the descent. He was soon joined by Nibali and former Olympic champion Samuel Sánchez. On the final climb, with 10 km to go, Joaquín Rodríguez replaced Sánchez, and those three held off the chasers until the finish line. The three shared the work load and the Slovakian champion sprinted away to cross the finish line 2 seconds ahead of his breakaway companions. Celebrating his win, the Slovak kissed his biceps. The climbs, he said after the race, hurt his arms more than they hurt his legs. In the General Classification, Nibali now leads Froome by 34 second, Rodríguez by 37 seconds and Contdor by 48 seconds.

After the stage, Sagan and Nibali both talked to the press.

Peter Sagan

THE GRADIENTS: “It was a very hard stage. When the rain started to fall, the gradients of 30% were hard to get up. I heard Contador say that, when he climbed out of the saddle, his back wheel slipped. I rode in the saddle all the time and, in the end, I got away with Vincenzo and stayed away to the finish line.”

FRIENDSHIP WITH NIBALI: “[Nibali] asked me how I was. I said I didn’t know if I’d be able to stay at the front. In the end we were both still there. Even I wasn’t interested in the overall lead, as Vincenzo’s friend, I still took turns at the front. And I was very happy to see him in the move today.”

ON MILANO-SANREMO: “Every year I’m the favourite, but I still haven’t won it. Everyone can be beaten. Cycling is beautiful because you need to think on the spot. One mistake can cost you the race. We’ll see on Sunday.”

Vincenzo Nibali

THE RACE SO FAR: “On Prati di Tivo I was on the defensive for most of the day and I only attacked in the final 2 km. Yesterday I wasn’t great and I didn’t think I’d be able to recoup the seconds I lost. But today it all came good for me. But we new at the start of the race there was a 27% climb coming, so our bikes were set up for it and we were well prepared.”

THE WINNING MOVE: “The tactic in my head was that, if I was good in the final, I wanted to do something on the last climb. I’d looked on the previous passes. I was encouraged when the bad weather came. Other riders suffered in the cold, but I was always ok.”

Tomorrow: Final stage, San Benedetto del Tronto
A perfectly flat, 9.2 km individual time trial out and back along the broad, palm-lined avenues of sea front at San Benedetto del Tronto.

First rider starts: 14.03 – Martin Velits
Last rider starts: 16.00 – Vincenzo Nibali

The Jerseys:
Banca Medioanum Blue Jersey (Overall): Vincenzo Nibali
Skoda White Jersey (Young Rider): Michal Kwiatkowski
Italo Red Jersey (Points): Alberto Contador
SuisseGas Green Jersey (Climber): Damiano Cunego

RCS Sport press release