Tirreno-Adriatico (st. 2)

155km breakaway for Essex boy, most combative of the escapees of first sprint stage in Italy. Pelucchi (IAM) prevails within chaos in bunch kick

In a day clearly based towards the fastest man in the race, Alex Dowsett (Movistar Team) took chances to break harmony into the peloton with his characteristic strength and courage on the flat. The British rider from the telephone squad spent 155 of the 166km on stage two in Tirreno-Adriático -a scenic ride through Tuscany, from San Vincenzo to Cascina- into the breakaway. He started the day alongside De la Cruz (TNE), Teklehaimanot (MTN), Canola (BAR) and Malacarne (EUC), riding through the day’s three rated climbs together; then, with 30k remaining and after collecting six bonus seconds at the ‘Traguardi Volanti’, he went away, solo.

Dowsett’s adventure, which jeopardized the bunch’s hopes at some points, ended up falling in disgrace into the final 15k, the Essex boy caught with six to go. With no fastmen in this year’s ‘Race of the Two Seas’, the Blues focused on helping out Nairo Quintana, while a chaotic sprint saw Matteo Pelucchi (IAM) taking a surprise win. Mark Cavendish (OPQ) is still in the lead and will have another opportunity to increase his margin tomorrow over the 210km stage three, starting at Cascina and finishing with a slightly uphill circuit in and around Arezzo.