Mikhali Ignatiev (Katusha) won stage six of Tirreno-Adriatico between Montecosara and Macerata. He was the last survivor of a twelve-man breakaway, attacking alone at the beginning of the last of three finishing circuits to take a solo victory in the hilltop town. Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) was second, five seconds behind the Russian, and World champion Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) was third.
The breakaway of twelve consisted of Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Paul Martens (Rabobank), Marcus Burghardt (BMC Racing), Matti Breschel (Saxo Bank), Simon Spilak (Lampre-Farnese Vini), Assan Bazayev (Astana), Rui Alberto Faria Costa (Caisse d’Epargne), Martijn Maaskant (Garmin-Transitions), Ruben Perez Moreno (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Peter Velits (HTC-Columbia), Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha) and Thomas Löfkvist (Team Sky). The group held a lead of 2’40” over the peloton, led by Acqua & Sapone, for Garzelli, and Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, for race leader Michele Scarponi, midway through the second of three 20km circuits.
Martens trailed Scarponi by just 1’36” overnight, and so for a long time was virtual leader on the road.
As the group approached the last lap, there were a number of attacks, first from Löfkvist and Bazayev, then Velits. It was not until Ignatiev’s decisive jump on the steep Santa Maria del Monte climb with 7km to go that anyone managed to break the shackles of the others.
On the tough final few kilometres, as the chase was led by Caisse d’Epargne and BMC Racing, Ignatiev’s former companions were reeled in one by one.
On the steepest section of the final climb Garzelli attacked, pulling Scarponi clear, who refused to let his classification rival escape; on the hairpins into the historic centre of town though, the pair was caught by the other favourites. Evans put in an attack inside the last few hundred metres, taking Garzelli with him but leaving Scarponi behind.
Ignatiev won the stage alone with Garzelli beating Evans in the sprint for second.
Scarponi managed to finish in sixth place; he holds onto his race lead; with Garzelli finishing two seconds ahead of him, and taking six bonus seconds, his lead has been cut to a slim 2 seconds. Evans' third place on the stage lifts the World champion over Astana's Maxim Iglinskiy into third place overall.
BMC Racing Team Director Sportif John Lelangue was quick to praise the way that the team has been working for Evans. “During the whole week, our team has been functioning well,” he said. “They have proven that they can manage a race around a leader."
Tomorrow’s final stage between Civitanova Marche and San Benedetto del Tronto is, on paper, one for the sprinters. Garzelli is a past master at this kind of finish though and will be bidding for more bonus seconds to give him the overall win.
Result stage 6
1. Mikhail Ignatiev (Katusha)
2. Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) @ 5s
3. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing)
4. Robert Gesink (Rabobank) @ 7s
5. Benoît Vaugrenard (la Française des Jeux)
6. Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni)
7. Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia)
8. Francesco Gavazzi (Lampre-Farnese Vini)
Standings after stage 6
1. Michele Scarponi (Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni)
2. Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone) @ 2s
3. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) @ 12s