Results Tirreno-Adriatico 2026 stage 2 | Mathieu van der Poel takes glory on the gravel ahead of Del Toro as Jorgenson and Arensman dealt crash blow

Mathieu van der Poel powered to victory on Stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico after igniting the race with a decisive attack on the Tuscan gravel roads before winning a three-man sprint in San Gimignano.

The Alpecin - Premier Tech rider launched his move the moment the race hit the sterrato sector in the closing kilometres, immediately splitting the peloton and forcing a frantic chase behind on the loose surface.

Isaac Del Toro and Giulio Pellizzari proved the only riders capable of responding to the Dutchman’s acceleration, bridging across to form a leading trio as the race exploded on the gravel.

Behind them, the peloton struggled to reorganise, allowing the three attackers to build a decisive advantage as the stage entered its final kilometres.

Earlier in the day the race had been controlled by INEOS Grenadiers as they defended Filippo Ganna’s overall lead following his dominant victory in the opening time trial.

An early breakaway featuring Manuele Tarozzi, Joan Bou, Diego Pablo Sevilla and Alessandro Iacchi animated the stage for much of the afternoon before being caught inside the final 50 kilometres.

Once the gravel sector arrived, however, the race was transformed. Van der Poel’s explosive acceleration immediately shattered the peloton, while several riders were caught in the chaos behind.

Matteo Jorgenson crashed during the initial surge on the loose surface, and Thymen Arensman later also fell on the gravel, dealing a major blow to the INEOS Grenadiers rider’s hopes of fighting for the overall classification. Even the leaders struggled for control on the treacherous roads, with Del Toro briefly sliding toward the edge of the road while Van der Poel momentarily unclipped a foot to steady himself.

With the peloton trailing by around fifteen seconds entering the final kilometre, the stage victory was left to be decided between the three riders at the front.

Pellizzari launched the sprint first with around 150 metres remaining, but Van der Poel surged past the Italian in the final metres to take the win. Del Toro crossed the line in second place, with Pellizzari completing the podium after the tightly contested finish.

The peloton arrived shortly afterwards, around fifteen seconds down, after the gravel finale had shattered the race and delivered one of the most dramatic stages of this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico.