PREVIEW | Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 stage 1 - Filippo Ganna vs Juan Ayuso on opening time-trial

From the 10th to 16th of March the World Tour peloton races Tirreno-Adriatico. This is in itself one of the most important stage-races of the year; but simultaneously it serves as preparation for the spring classics and also as a test for the Giro d'Italia. It will be a week of high-octane racing across Italy! We preview stage 1.

The race kicks off with an 11-kilometer time-trial in Lido di Camaiore, as usual. A day for the specialists, but also one where the GC battle will begin and small differences can be created ahead of a week where there is only one more stage that truly assures differences are created.

The course is incredibly simple, as it's a perfect out-and-back. 5.75 kilometers in one direction, one 180-degree corner and then take the same road back to the finish line pretty much. All about the pure power and speed, and little else will matter.

Small western breeze, but it won't affect what will happen in the day. Filippo Ganna is the main favourite for the day and the man to beat, however we could say the same last year and Juan Ayuso flew to victory on a course that didn't seem to suit him well. It's a 50/50 between the two, with the Spaniard on great form. Jonathan Milan is also a tremendous powerhouse that will be very interesting to see, and on his best day he could be in the fight for the victory as well. The GC riders will take most of the attention on the day, and riders such as Antonio Tiberi and Derek Gee have shown tremendous form agains the clock in recent weeks.

*** Filippo Ganna, Juan Ayuso
** Jonathan Milan, Soren Waerenskjold
* Antonio Tiberi, Kevin Vauquelin, Mattia Cattaneo, Derek Gee, Mathieu van der Poel, Johan Price-Pejtersen, Maikel Ziljaard, Isaac

Pick: Filippo Ganna