RCS Sport, the organiser of the Giro d’Italia, presented the 2013 route of its other big stage race, the Tirreno-Adriatico, in San Vincenzo, on the Tuscan coast, today. The seven day “Corsa dei Due Mari” - Race of the Two Seas - will form part of the International Cycling Union (UCI) WorldTour as usual, and will run between March 6th and 12th.
“I particularly love Tirreno-Adriatico because it is where I started out in cycling many years ago,” said Mauro Vegni, RCS Sport’s cycling chief operative officer. “With 7 stages crossing five Italian regions and broadcast to 120 different countries all over the World. We believe professional cycling is now, more than ever, the best way to promote local communities and sustainable mobility.”
The start and finish of the race will be familiar to those who rode the 2012 edition, as the first, second, and seventh stages are identical to last year’s. Race winner Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) will also be pleased to see a return to the stage finish at Prati di Tivo, where the then Liquigas-Cannondale rider lay the foundations of his overall success.
Nibali was not present at the route presentation, but former teammates Ivan Basso and Moreno Moser (both Cannondale) were.
“The race is ideal preparation for the Grand Tours, in particular to find the right balance you need in a team,” said Basso. “Sometimes our race programs are drawn up in winter when you don’t know the specific details of the races. Now that Team Cannondale knows the route of Tirreno-Adriatico we will decide who will be our best team to race it.”
One rider from the green team that will be on the San Vincenzo start line will be Moreno Moser. The 22-year-old nephew of Italian legend Francesco knows that the pressure will be on his young shoulders after such a strong first full year in the pro peloton in 2012.
“There is a great expectation on me this season - last year I was racing without that,” he said. “I will race Tirreno-Adriatico without many races already in my legs but I will try to give everything I can. Tirreno is one of the most important races in Italy alongside Giro d’Italia, Milan-Sanremo and Il Lombardia. My stages will be the hilly ones.”
Following the race’s usual opening team time trial, between San Vincenzo and Donoratico, which will follow an identical 16.9km route as in 2012, the second stage will cover 232km across Tuscany between San Vincenzo and Indicatore (Arezzo) once again. Stage three will start in Indicatore, as it did in 2012, but its southerly parcours will take it to the south Umbrian town of Narni Scalo.
Stages four and five also have a similar appearance to those of 2012, although they are reversed for this year’s race. The queen stage of the race to Prati di Tivo comes a day earlier than last year, on stage four, while the short, steep, hilltop finish in Chieti comes on stage five, a day later than in 2012.
Stage six will be a jagged 209km race, starting and finishing in the Marche seaside town of Porto Sant’Elpidio, and the race will end further down the coast with the flat, out and back, 9.2km, seafront time trial that saw Nibali finally take the race from Chris Horner.
Although the Tirreno-Adriatico is one of the few major Italian races he has never won, Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Merida) - who was also at the presentation - confirmed that he will be part of the blue-fuchsia team to line up in San Vincenzo on March 6th.
“I will be at the start of this fantastic event. It’s a complete race: time trial stages, climbs, there’s everything,” said the Piccolo Principe. “I will try to be as prepared as I can, thanks to the help of Michele Bartoli.”
Tirreno-Adriatico (WT) March 6th - 12th
Stages
Stage 1: San Vincenzo - Donoratico TTT, 16.9km
Stage 2: San Vincenzo - Indicatore (Arezzo), 232km
Stage 3: Indicatore (Arezzo) - Narni Scalo, 190km
Stage 4: Narni - Prati di Tivo, 173km
Stage 5: Ortona - Chieti, 230km
Stage 6: Porto Sant'Elpidio - Porto Sant'Elpidio, 209km
Stage 7: San Benedetto del Tronto ITT, 9.2km