ANALYSIS: Five things we learnt from Tirreno-Adriatico including Ayuso, Van der Poel, and Ganna
Cycling
Tirreno-Adriatico has long been known as one of the most prestigious week long stage races on the calendar, often serving as key preparation for the Giro d’Italia and other major races later in the season. The 2025 edition proved no different, as it brought us thrilling battles, breakout performances, and worrying signs for some riders.
With Juan Ayuso securing the overall victory, Filippo Ganna proving his all-round capabilities, and Mathieu van der Poel fine-tuning his form for the classics, there was plenty to take away from this year’s race. Here are the five biggest lessons from the 2025 Tirreno-Adriatico.
1. Juan Ayuso is the real deal
Winning Tirreno-Adriatico was a major statement from Juan Ayuso, who claimed his biggest career stage race victory and solidified his place as one of cycling’s top Grand Tour contenders. The 22-year-old Spaniard delivered a performance that left no doubts about his talent, winning Stage 6 on the climb to Frontignano and securing the leader’s jersey in impressive fashion.
His win ahead of Filippo Ganna, Antonio Tiberi, and Derek Gee showed that he is more than just a promising talent, he is now a proven leader capable of winning high-level stage races.
Ayuso was fully aware of the significance of this win. "It's my biggest victory," he said after sealing the title. "The Giro d'Italia is another step." With his eyes now set on the Maglia Rosa in May, Ayuso is emerging as one of the main contenders for the Giro, but can he actually win it?
To do so, he will have to go up against elite rivals like Primoz Roglic and Richard Carapaz, both of whom have far more experience in winning three-week races. However, his steady progression, strong tactical awareness, and fearless racing style suggest he could be a real threat in his first serious Giro GC bid.
And it may just be time for a new contender to become King.
The biggest question will be whether his consistency over three weeks can match Roglic’s experience and Carapaz’s too, but his performance in Tirreno-Adriatico suggests that he is more than ready to take on that challenge.
2. Filippo Ganna is more than just a time trial specialist
Filippo Ganna’s runner-up finish in the general classification was arguably the most impressive performance of the race, showing that he is no longer just a time trial expert, he is becoming a true all-rounder.
Ganna’s ability to stay with the best climbers on difficult days and still produce strong results in other stages was a clear indication of his continued development. His second-place finish on GC behind Ayuso and his ability to limit his losses in the mountains show that he could soon be a factor in major week-long stage races, and also the classics.
The INEOS Grenadiers rider has long been a dominant force against the clock, but this result raises the question: could he become a genuine contender in classics and on specific stages in grand tours?
While he still lacks the pure climbing ability of the sport’s top GC riders, his improvements in long efforts and his resilience in challenging terrain suggest that he could continue evolving into a more complete rider.
For now, his focus will likely remain on winning time trials and playing a key role in his team’s GC campaigns, but his performance at Tirreno-Adriatico proves that he is capable of much more, and perhaps a big classics win could be just around the corner.
3. Mathieu van der Poel is nearing his best
While Mathieu van der Poel may not have won a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico, his performance showed that he is rapidly approaching his best form just in time for the classics season.
The world champion was aggressive throughout the race, launching multiple attacks and showing his usual explosive style. Despite missing out on a stage win, he left Tirreno-Adriatico full of confidence, knowing that his legs are coming into form ahead of Milano-Sanremo and the cobbled classics.
"I needed this with an eye on the classics," van der Poel said after the race. "I feel like I'm getting closer to my best form, and that’s exactly what I wanted from this race."
His biggest objectives (Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix) are still to come, and his performance in Tirreno-Adriatico suggests that he will be a favourite in all of them.
4. Jonathan Milan could be the Tour de France 2025’s fastest sprinter
While the general classification battles took centre stage, Jonathan Milan’s sprinting dominance in Tirreno-Adriatico cannot be overlooked.
The Lidl-Trek rider claimed stage wins on stage 2 and stage 7, underlining his status as one of the sport’s fastest finishers. His performance was particularly impressive in the final stage, where he powered to victory once again.
Milan’s ability to win sprints against elite competition raises an intriguing possibility, could he win the green jersey at the Tour de France on debut in July?
The likes of Biniam Girmay, Jasper Philipsen, and Tim Merlier will have something to say about that, but Milan looks in imperious form.
5. Cian Uijtdebroeks is a concern
While many riders left Tirreno-Adriatico with confidence, it was a worrying race for Cian Uijtdebroeks, who struggled throughout and suffered a major setback on the final climb of the last stage.
The 22-year-old Belgian, who was expected to be one of Visma | Lease a Bike’s future GC leaders, once again suffered from recurring back issues that have plagued him since last season.
After the stage, he was visibly emotional, explaining his ongoing struggles. "My heart rate was 150, but I wasn’t making any progress, and I had that dull feeling in my legs again. It’s a replay of what happened to me last year. That sucks."
This issue first appeared during the Vuelta a Espana in 2024, and while he and Visma spent the winter working on rehabilitation, his performance at Tirreno-Adriatico suggests that the problem is far from solved.
His team acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, with team manager Maarten Wynants admitting that Uijtdebroeks was struggling mentally as well. "His morale is below zero now, that's normal," he said. "We need to first wash away the disappointment before we look at the next steps."
While Visma | Lease a Bike remains optimistic about his long-term potential, this latest setback is a serious concern, and his future as a top GC contender remains uncertain.
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- I thought it was obvious since last year. He wants to focus on the monuments that he hasn't won yet.
KerisVroom18-03-2025 - yesKerisVroom18-03-2025
- 20 years I guess?Jumpyjohn18-03-2025
- Not really, the long version: I tend to agree, also I wouldn’t read too much into MVDPs lack of stage wins compared to years ago, he was never far. MVDP usually knows how and when to peak, people read too much into some races. While back, a big thing was made out of Pidcock beating Wout only for a reversal in the more important next race. Does it make more sense now?Jumpyjohn18-03-2025
- "We came to the idea that potentially can be the reason why I’m getting so sick" It is not even confirmed. Is the only cyclist with this issue? I think they are grasping at strawsabstractengineer18-03-2025
- Like Wout maybe, only Roglič just keeps returning to pre-crash levels but maybe with him we never saw his best for all the crashes.Jumpyjohn18-03-2025
- Yep I think he must still be recovering from that crash last year. He has done well to get over that, but I would bet it will take some time yet to get back to peak pre-crash fitness. This latest "off" will not have helped.Cyclingsbestfan17-03-2025
- Doesn't mean anything. In 2023 he was only 3rd at Paris-Nice but then won the toursomeeffingname17-03-2025
- MSR is the race that brings the Spring', proper for better or worse...
leedorney17-03-2025 - Not sure that’s the whole story otherwise babies would be a lit more susceptible to nose bacteria too. Obviously cyclist breathe far more than average humans which should help keep things cleaner, on the other hand if you don’t clean your nose well or use an infected finger … and then why bacteria and not viruses? I would prepare mentally for more testing if this doesn’t solve things. Teeth and gums are the most overlooked entry point for infectious agents. Ears and eyes can also be easily contaminated.Mistermaumau17-03-2025