PREVIEW | Tirreno-Adriatico 2024 stage 2 - Tim Merlier and Jasper Philipsen headline best sprinter battle of the year so far!

Juan Ayuso took a storming victory on the opening time-trial of Tirreno-Adriatico, and stage 2 will now present the sprinters with a great opportunity. The best sprinters in the world will be contesting for victory here including Jasper Philipsen and Tim Merlier.

Stage 2 of the Italian race begins in Camaiore and right from the gun we've got a hilltop. A nice start to the day, one however that should be relatively calm - as it usually is the case early in the stage-races. On the menu is a flat and relatively simple day.

Almost 200 kilometers on the menu with two hilltops under the way. The peloton will head towards Follonica. They will race through the finish line twice, meaning the sprinters will see the finale once before going in for the decisive effort.

A very fast sprint no doubt it will be. The final kilometers are relatively windy and inside the final kilometer there will be a roundabout that needs to be ridden through with 800 meters to go. There will be an all-out sprint to the final corner that takes place with 350 meters to go.

This will be a key point, going out of the corner with speed is crucial, but equally, if you're coming from behind you've got a 350-meter long sprint ahead. Good positioning is key so as to have the legs in the final meters then, but this can also open up the possibility of some interesting sprint tactics.

Slight western breeze. It will not affect the day it's not strong enough. A very light headwind could be present in the finishing straight, but taking into consideration that the finishing straight is very small riders can't really benefit from coming from the back.

Tim Merlier - Merlier was extraordinary at the UAE Tour where he won three sprints and they were all chaotic. Hence we know that not having a perfect a leadout is not necessarily a problem for him. On paper, there's no preventing him from being in contention, and in a flat sprint he can certainly beat just about anyone. The first bunch sprint of the race is usually a good one for the Belgian.

Jasper Philipsen - Usually the status of the sprinter who cannot be dislodged from the front, in the current peloton, would be for Jasper Philipsen. But it is not, anymore, for now at least. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider only started his season at the Opening Weekend where he did not immpress. This will be his first bunch sprint of the year, not ideal conditions to rival with such a field, but we cannot forget how he's ridden for the past two years!

You've got riders with tremendously strong leadouts. Jonathan Milan leading Lidl-Trek, Biniam Girmay for Intermarché-Wanty, Caleb Ewan for Team Jayco AlUla and either Alexander Kristoff or Soren Waerenskjold for Uno-X mobility all have very fast men in front of them who can certainly take them to pole position ahead of the sprint, and this can be the difference between a big win or defeat.

Mark Cavendish will also have the support of Michael Morkov and will be a rider trying to break through and get a big win for a season that is key in his career. The likes of Casper van Uden and Phil Bauhaus are also capable of winning in a field like this, even if it is a difficult task.

Ethan Vernon will sprint for Israel - Premier Tech, Stanislaw Aniolkowski for Cofidis, Marius Mayrhofer for Tudor, Giovanni Lonardi for Polti Kometa, Niccolo Bonifazio for Corratec, Vincenzo Albanese for Arkéa, Andrea Vendrame for Decathlon, Filippo Fiorelli for Bardiani and who knows... maybe Filippo Ganna will want to sprint, if so he could jump into the race lead but also see where he stands within the best sprinters in the world.

*** Tim Merlier, Jasper Philipsen
** Jonathan Milan, Biniam Girmay,
* Caleb Ewan, Alexander Kristoff, Mark Cavendish, Casper van Uden, Phil Bauhaus, Ethan Vernon, Stanislaw Aniolkowski, Marius Mayrhofer

Pick: Tim Merlier