PREVIEW | Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 - UAE vs Visma on explosive week of racing; Pidcock an outsider, van der Poel a star; Milan and Girmay to battle for sprints

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 the race ahead.

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.

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.

The third day of racing is a mixed one, with plenty scenarios possible to decide the stage. The 240 kilometers on the bike will make it a long and challenging day, with a few climbs on the menu. The last one, long but inconsistent and some resting zones, will provide a lot of space for attacks but the gradients are never truly hard. A small bunch sprint or late attack can succeed on the day.

Stage 4 into Trasacco could end in a sprint but this is a day designed for a breakaway and where many riders will be testing their form. The first two thirds of the stage are in a constant up-and-down and the climbs are not easy at all. Having an organized chase will be a challenge, but there will be plenty riders looking to take advantage of the opportunity.

The fifth day of racing is not too different, with tons of climbs scattered all across the 205 kilometers into Pergola. The climbs are not too hard, but the difference on this day is that the final ones are the tougher ones, and we could see some moves from the GC riders before the stage ends.

The queen stage. Short, with only one big climb, but the GC men will try to have the best possible legs here. Many smalls ascents will eventually lead the riders onto the base of the 7-kilometer long ascent into Fortignano where the climbers will have their opportunity.

The race ends as is usual, in San Benedetto del Tronto with a stage for the sprinters. However the distance is short and there are two tricky climbs halfway through the day, so there is danger of a strong breakaway threatening to take it.

UAE - This race will basically be a preview of the Giro d'Italia. Several teams are bringing their leaders for the Corsa Rosa to race in the same country, similar roads and similar competition. UAE are testing their co-leader duo of Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates and I'd say they are the main favourites to win the race. On one side you've got an in-form Ayuso that has won two out of three race days so far this season, and won last year's time-trial which he could repeat this time around. If he struggles in the mountain stage, Tour of Oman winner Adam Yates could well step in to fill the gap. Isaac del Toro, who has looked stupendous in the gravel races, will be a support rider but he himself a potential candidate for a top result if given the freedom.

Visma - Visma will likely be the main rival team, but we have to be honest that they will likely be on the back foot and with pressure. Ayuso should gain time on it's leaders in the opening time-trial. This will be Simon Yates' first race of the season so it's not fair to put him already in the position of possible winner, but I believe Visma will have prepared him well and he will be motivated. With Cian Uijtdebroeks, Attila Valter and a very strong rounded team, the 'bees' will aim to take a big win this week - in a race Yates has won in the past and usually performs well on.

Tom Pidcock - There is an important question regarding if he will recover fully after a brutal Strade Bianche that took him to the limit. But it's completely fair to put the Briton in the main list of favourites. The time-trial won't be favourable to him, but on the hilly days he can very well make time on some of his rivals and on the queen stage he should hold his own very well. Last year he finished in the Top10 here and I argue the route suits him better now. In his current form and motivation, he will be an exciting prospect.

Mikel Landa - Barely seen on TV, but Landa just came off an 11th spot at Strade Bianche. That looked mighty impressive from the Basque, who is not a known great bike handler, not an explosive rider and certainly not a specialist in the classics. It's a sign of great form, and although the time-trial may see him lose a lot of time, in the mountain stage the leader of Quick-Step could do some damage together with Valentin Paret-Peintre. The Belgian team will also have Mattia Cattaneo as an outsider, who should thrive against the clock and hold his own elsewhere.

INEOS have got a Laurens de Plus who finished on the podium of the Volta ao Algarve and is a very well rounded rider for such a race in this form, and who knows Michal Kwiatkowski (if he recovers from his Strade Bianche crash properly) could also be a podium contender in his best form; Bahrain - Victorious come with a very threatening duo of time-trial specialist Antonio Tiberi and a Pello Bilbao who just rode a brilliant UAE Tour and Strade Bianche; When it comes to teams with several options you also cannot ignore Movistar who are having a brilliant season and will back up Einer Rubio and former winner Nairo Quintana this week.

We've got Kévin Vauquelin who should be a perfect fit for this kind of racing and can benefit from being under the radar; Giulio Ciccone who is just off a second place at the UAE Tour only behind Tadej Pogacar which will serve as a great motivator; Gran Camiño winner Derek Gee who should be one of the best in the time-trial; and riders such as Richard Carapaz, David Gaudu, Jai Hindley, Lorenzo Fortunato and Eddie Dunbar who will look to leave their mark specially in the mountain stage.

The race will have a luxury sprint contingent and although only two stages are virtually certain to have one, they should be proper exciting. We will have Jonathan Milan, Biniam Girmay, Paul Magnier and Olav Kooij in the same field and all will have the chance to take victories. Sam Bennett, Soren Waerenskjold, Pascal Ackermann, Matteo Moschetti, Dylan Groenewegen and Bryan Coquard will also be interesting riders for these days.

Furthermore this race is stacked with quality classics riders who have actually got quite a few opportunities in this race, and also have a few very long stages which can serve as perfect preparation for the monuments. Of course, Mathieu van der Poel takes the spotlight, and it will be interesting to see if he will also try to race for the bunch sprints. Filippo Ganna on the opposite side will try to go for the win on the race's opening time-trial. The likes of Marc Hirschi, Magnus Cort Nielsen, Maxim van Gils, Alberto Bettiol, Ben Healy and Alex Aranburu can all take victories during the week on the trickiest stages.

*** Juan Ayuso, Simon Yates
** Adam Yates, Mikel Landa, Laurens de Plus, Pello Bilbao, Derek Gee
* Cian Uijtdebroeks, Valentin Paret-Peintre, Mattia Cattaneo, Isaac del Toro, Tom Pidcock, Antonio Tiberi, Giulio Ciccone, Jai Hindley, Eddie Dunbar, Lorenzo Fortunato, Richard Carapaz, David Gaudu, Einer Rubio, Kévin Vauquelin

Pick: Juan Ayuso