PREVIEW | Tirreno-Adriatico 2023 stage 5 - Roglic, Yates, Mas, Landa and Hindley fight for race lead
Cycling
Preview. The GC fight has opened up in today's hilltop finale with Primoz Roglic taking the win, but stage 5 to Sarnano Sassotetto is very likely the queen stage of Tirreno-Adriatico where the biggest gaps will be created.
The fifth stage of the race is the queen stage. It is short in comparison to the previous ones, and it features climbing throughout the whole day, albeit without any meaningful difficulty all of them, except the final one. Almost 4000 meters of climbing, it is a difficult one, where the riders just have to settle in and take on the small climbs all throughout around 150 kilometers. It will be a grind into the final ascent.
Start Time: 11:25CET
Finish Time: 16:00CET
Stage 5: Morro d'Oro - Sarnano-Sassotetto, 168 kilometers
The climb to Sarnano-Sassotetto is 13.1 kilometers long at 7.3%. It's not the first time it's used in the race, and after such a difficult day it would not be a surprise to see very large gaps created. It's not a very consistent ascent, with gradients over 9% throughout several kilometers.
Attacks will come in the middle of it. It's a climb where the GC can very well be played out, and the pure climbers have the opportunity to create damage. There is a time-trial and two hilly stages in the Italian event, this is the one day where everything is to be controlled and a constant long effort will decide the winner.
Sarnano-Sassotetto: 13.1Km; 7.3%
The Weather
There will be calm weather, over some hilltops there will likely be gusts of wind from the west but all throughout the days the many mountains and hills will provide coverage for the riders.
The Favourites
UAE - UAE are looking sharp. Adam Yates is the team leader, he's shown his climbing legs at the UAE Tour. The weather conditions aren't the same here but Yates showed great legs today. It's likely that he will be a big contender, and João Almeida will not be distant. Brandon McNulty will likely take a domestique role on the day.
Jumbo-Visma - Primoz Roglic has taken the win today. This does not mean he'll have his best level today in the higher mountains, but he is very likely to be racing at the top level. Jumbo-Visma will likely give freedom to Wilco Kelderman, whilst Tiesj Benoot is likely to also be free from domestique duties. With Wout van Aert and Attila Valter showing great signs today however the Dutch team are very well rounded up.
BORA - Lennard Kämna is now in the lead of the race. BORA will have responsibilities but in the final ascent he's unlikely to be protected. The German team have two big weapons in Jai Hindley and Aleksandr Vlasov, both of which are in very good positions on the overall classification. It is going to be a crucial day for BORA in this early season.
Bahrain - Santiago Buitrago looked far from his best today, he's unlikely to play a big role tomorrow. Damiano Caruso may - he has looked good so far - but it's Mikel Landa who is the main man to look at. He's shown good form last year and earlier this year, and he's got here the day where he needs to make a difference.
Enric Mas - Enric Mas looked sharp today. It wasn't a very suited finish but he looked as sharp as last year, and on this summit finish he has the opportunity to take the step and get himself in position to win his first majour stage-race.
The list will be further widened by the likes of Tao Geoghegan Hart, Thibaut Pinot, Giulio Ciccone, Alexey Lutsenko or Hugh Carthy who have shown good signs in this early season of being able to contest for a position near the top. Several riders can get in the fight however. The likes of Wout van Aert and Tom Pidcock on their best day could safely be in the top positions but I find that unlikely with what they've shown so far during this race - both physically and mentally. Julian Alaphilippe is in a similar but better position.
Guillaume Martin, Harm Vanhoucke, Ben O'Connor, Michael Woods and Sebastien Reichenbach should also be among the many outsiders for such a stage. A lot will be decided on a day like this, and there will be clear separation between those who are capable of fighting for the GC and those who aren't.
Prediction Tirreno-Adriatico 2023 stage 5:
*** Adam Yates, Enric Mas
** Primoz Roglic, Mikel Landa, Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov, João Almeida
* Wilco Kelderman, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Damiano Caruso, Giulio Ciccone, Hugh Carthy, Thibaut Pinot
** Primoz Roglic, Mikel Landa, Jai Hindley, Aleksandr Vlasov, João Almeida
* Wilco Kelderman, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Damiano Caruso, Giulio Ciccone, Hugh Carthy, Thibaut Pinot
Pick: Enric Mas
Read also
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 3visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Pidcock finished 9th place, 29 minutes down. he is a helluva rider, so gutsy. and he is amazing at all disciplines. but this headline is . . .mij09-11-2026
- I know, watch the video. and listen to her competitors. it was a tricky tacky call at best. WTF is this guy talking about??? my original comment was from the picture it didn't look like anything.mij09-11-2026
- I dunno what you're talking about. you make no sense. MS's competitor and the competitors coach said it was BS. she didn't deviate in a way that relegation should be required. revel LOL. you're so cool, in your own mind.mij09-11-2026
- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
- Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026
Loading
🇸🇮 @rogla vince a Tortoreto! . 🇸🇮 @rogla wins in Tortoreto! #TirrenoAdriatico
Write a comment