Benefiting from strong team-work by his Garmin-Cervélo team plus a rock-solid leadout by world road race champion Thor Hushovd, Tyler Farrar sped to victory on today’s second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. The American rider held off Italian Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) and JJ Haedo (Saxo Bank SunGard), grabbing the third win of his season.
“It's crazy to be honest,” Farrar said of the fact that the rainbow jersey propelled him to victory. “I guess you have to do a good sprint when you have the world champion leading you out! Thanks to him and the whole team, they did it perfectly. I had the easiest job today.”
The 202 kilometre stage travelled from Carrara to Indicatore and featured an early attack by Javier Llorent Aramendia (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Leonardo Giordani (Farnese Neri-Vini Sottoli) and Olivier Kaisen (Omega Pharma-Lotto). The trio built a good lead and this jumped up over seven minutes when the peloton was stopped at a level crossing in Lucca, 57 kilometres after the start. Aramendia took the day’s first King of the Mountains climb at San Casciano Val di Pesa (km 121.8), and was also first to the top of the second, the Poggio alla Croce (km 148).
Behind, Mark Cavendish (HTC Highroad) and Tom Boonen (Quick Step) were distanced on the climb, slipping backwards as some attacks were fired off at the head of the peloton. They would eventually chase back on. The increasing pace meant that the break was finally brought back inside the final 50 kilometres. Vicente Reynes (Omega Pharma-Lotto) was next to try, but after several kilometres of freedom he was recaptured.
Several attacks followed and with just over six kilometres to go, Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r La Mondiale) surged clear. Maxim Iglinsky (Astana) and Marcus Burghart (BMC Racing Team) then threw the hammer down. Ramping up the speed on narrow, twisting roads, they were joined by several others, but the bunch was too strong and dragged them back with three kilometres remaining. A short burst off the front by former Giro d’Italia leader Enrico Gasparatto (Astana) was similarly unsuccessful.
Team RadioShack hit the front just over a kilometre out in a bid to set Robbie McEwen up for the win, but Garmin-Cervélo swept past and finished things off perfectly for Farrar.
One of the American’s first big wins in the pro ranks came in 2009 when he won stage three of the race. Much has changed since then, and both he and the team have progressed from being riders who were pluckily taking the fight to the top squads to actually being at the top themselves.
He commented on this evolution at the finish. “I really enjoy this race, it's always my important race of the year,” he said. “Two years ago it was my first big win, two years ago I was riding the sprints by myself, or with Julian [Dean]. Now you see now the team has progressed, just as I have, and we are one of the strongest for the sprints now.”
He holds a two second lead over six Rabobank riders, including Thomas Leezer and overnight leader Lars Boom. (Rabobank Cycling Team). Sprinting rival Oscar Freire is lurking in fifth place, and will be hoping to grab the jersey back for the Dutch squad on tomorrow’s mainly flat 189 kilometre stage to Perugia.
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Tirreno-Adriatico, Italy (World Tour), March 9 – 15:
Stage 2, Carrara - Indicatore (Arezzo):
1, Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin-Cervelo) 202 kilometres in 4 hours 56 mins 6 secs
2, Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre - ISD)
3, Juan José Haedo (Saxo Bank Sungard)
4, Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad)
5, Marcel Sieberg (Omega Pharma-Lotto)
6, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team)
7, Mirco Lorenzetto (Pro Team Astana)
8, Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky Procycling) all same time
General classification after stage 2:
1, Tyler Farrar (Team Garmin-Cervelo) 5 hours 14 mins 13 secs
2, Thomas Leezer (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 2 secs
3, Lars Boom (Rabobank Cycling Team)
4, Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank Cycling Team)
5, Oscar Freire Gomez (Rabobank Cycling Team)
6, Robert Gesink (Rabobank Cycling Team)
7, Bram Tankink (Rabobank Cycling Team) all same time
8, Juan José Haedo (Saxo Bank Sungard) at 8 secs