“I saved just enough energy to win” - Mathieu van der Poel survives slippery gravel chaos to win Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 2

Mathieu van der Poel admitted the final kilometres of Stage 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico pushed him to the limit after his decisive gravel attack ultimately delivered victory in San Gimignano.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech rider launched the move that decided the stage when the race hit the Tuscan sterrato, splitting the peloton before forming a three-man leading group with Isaac del Toro and Giulio Pellizzari.

After a chaotic finale on rain-soaked gravel roads, Van der Poel edged the sprint between the trio to take his second road victory of the season.

“It was very difficult,” Van der Poel said afterwards. “The level was incredibly high on the final climb. Especially because of the rain in the last half hour it was quite tricky. But the team did an amazing job.”

Van der Poel revealed the key moment came as the race entered the gravel sector, where positioning proved crucial on the narrow and technical roads. “First Julian Alaphilippe went,” he explained. “I wanted to take the front because I knew there were a few tricky corners. I also wanted to make the race as hard as possible.”

The acceleration quickly split the race, leaving only Del Toro and Pellizzari able to follow the Dutchman’s move as the stage entered its decisive phase.

The wet conditions added another layer of difficulty, with the gravel surface becoming increasingly slippery in the closing kilometres.

Despite the attacks on the gravel, the three riders remained together heading into the uphill finish, forcing the stage to be decided in a short sprint.

Pellizzari opened the sprint first, but Van der Poel produced the strongest final acceleration to take the win. “The road surface was quite slippery, so it was very hard to sprint out of the saddle,” he said. “I had just saved enough energy to win.”

Van der Poel is racing Tirreno-Adriatico primarily as preparation for Milano-Sanremo and the upcoming Spring Classics, though the Dutchman admitted taking a stage victory still carries clear importance. “But of course I also wanted to win a stage,” he said. “Last year I came close a few times but didn’t manage it, so I’m happy that I can take a stage again in Tirreno.”

The victory follows his earlier success at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and continues a strong start to the road campaign as he builds toward the major Classics later this spring.

While all eyes were on the duel between the world champion and the UAE prodigy, Giulio Pellizzari proved that his 2026 Strade Bianche performance was no fluke. By bridging to Van der Poel and Del Toro on the steepest gravel gradients, the 22-year-old Italian has firmly established himself as a legitimate contender for the 'Maglia Bianca' (Best Young Rider) and a potential podium threat for the GC if he can survive the high mountains later this week.