PREVIEW | Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 stage 2 - Jonathan Milan and Olav Kooij headline bunch sprint

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 2.

Stage 2 from Camaiore to Follonica is the only day where the sprinters should have nothing to worry about. The 190 kilometers have only two small ascents, and a bunch sprint is very hard to prevent with such a profile.

There is a two-kilometer ascent right at the start of the day, but at this point in the race there shouldn't be anyone trying to use it for a dangerous escapee group. A small ascent with 63 kilometers to go and an intermediate sprint with 19 to go will be points of interest, but this is a day just for the bunch sprint.

In Follonica there will be an exciting finale, and also a dangerous one I'd say. A fully flat one, it will be very fast at the end of what should be a calm day, and then we have a 90-degree corner with 250 meters to go. There will be a full leadout to this corner, and from there on it will pretty much be a sprint all the way to the line. A day for the teams with the best leadout to succeed.

Small chances of rain on the day, but it will be the wind that the riders will notice. It will be strong, but it will come from the south, which means a headwind throughout most of the stage. A bunch sprint will happen, and although there are a few sections of crosswind in the finale it will be in an urban setting and many corners so echelons are unlikely.

Jonathan Milan - Quite simply, this is Milan's sprint to lose. No, usually you can't say that in a flat bunch sprint, but even with this strong field I see Milan above the rest. He has got his full (strong and experienced) leadout with him so positioning should not be an issue, his performance in the time-trial today was brilliant and he is just so damn powerful that head-to-head no-one here can beat him. The first bunch sprint should crown the fastest in the race.

Olav Kooij - Visma come with a split leadership but this shouldn't be an issue for Kooij. If the work is well done, even a tiny leadout can do a great job and with Dan McLay launching him I think the duo can work perfectly. Speed wise, Kooij is one of two men who I think have the speed to really battle Milan here.

The other is Paul Magnier, who'd prefer some more climbing, but will still be an interesting prospect for this. Dylan Groenewegen could potentially be a fourth rider because Jayco has a strong leadout and the Dutchman will love the pan-flat stage and no difficulties towards the end of the stage. He could take advantage of the very high speeds and raw power.

There will be two interesting wildcards in race leader Filippo Ganna, who definitely has the power and could also benefit from snatching some bonus seconds... And Mathieu van der Poel who is not a rider for bunch sprints, but he recently won in Le Samyn and Alpecin don't really have any other option for a sprint. I think it's fully his decision on whether he wants to give it a shot or not.

Amaury Capiot, Bryan Coquard, Sam Bennett, Paul Penhoët, Pasca Ackermann, Orluis Aular, Casper van Uden, Giovanni Lonardi, Rick Pluimers and Magnus Cort Nielsen are all good contenders to have a top result as well.

*** Jonathan Milan
** Olav Kooij, Paul Magnier, Dylan Groenewegen
* Mathieu van der Poel, Bryan Coquard, Sam Bennett, Mathieu van der Poel, Filippo Ganna, Pascal Ackermann, Casper van Uden, Magnus Cort Nielsen

Pick: Jonathan Milan

How: Regular bunch sprint.