BMC confirmed their status as the best team time trial team in the world by taking another big win in the discipline on the first stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. The American team covered the flat 22.7km course in a time of 23.55 which was two seconds faster than Etixx-QuickStep and nine seconds faster than the surprise third place finisher FDJ and as the first rider across the line for his team, Daniel Oss is the first leader of the race.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Daniel Oss: I am just the face of the team

It was a dream start to Tirreno-Adriatico for BMC Racing Team today, taking home another Team Time Trial victory and putting Daniel Oss in the leader’s jersey.

 

The team, featuring four of the 2015 UCI World Team Time Trial champions, stopped the clock at 23’55 with an average speed of 56.947km/h. Eitxx-Quick-Step finished in second place, two seconds behind and FDJ rounded out the top three, nine seconds back.

 

A win in the TTT was one of the team’s objectives going into the race, Oss said.

 

“It’s an amazing feeling. It was the first goal for us here at Tirreno-Adriatico. We have an amazing team here with some great climbers and riders to support Tejay van Garderen for the General Classification.

 

“Now we have the jersey but we are here for Tejay. Tomorrow is another day and it looks like a good stage for us with Greg Van Avermaet so hopefully we can continue with this momentum.”

 

“This has been our speciality for a few years now. We love it and it all went as we wished. Other stages suit us and we want more results. It'll be unusual for me to race with the leader's jersey. Moreover, this is the first real race of the year for Tejay van Garderen. Apart from winning today, we wanted to position him as high as possible on GC. He's here with high ambitions for the overall.

 

"It wasn’t a priority to discuss who’d cross the line first as we were busy putting a winning strategy together. I represent the team who won today. It’s my first time leading the overall classification of a WorldTour race. It’s a honour, a privilege, a satisfaction, but I remember that last year this jersey was worn by [currently injured rider] Adriano Malori, so I dedicate part of this jersey to him.

 

“The Team Time Trial was our first goal but the main one is the final overall classification with Tejay van Garderen. There are also the next two stage finishes that suit Greg van Avermaet really well. He’s in great form and it’ll be a question of having the legs.

 

“There’s a personal satisfaction that I’m wearing the jersey but I’m only the face of the team today.

"We didn’t decide on who would cross the line first because we focus more on our ride than who finishes first. I crossed the line first this time but I represented the whole team.

“This is just a first step and a good start. We wanted to win the stage and gain time for Tejay for the GC. We did it. There was a bit of tension in the team before the race but it was positive energy to do our best.

“Investing in time trialing and team time trialing is fundamental. There are now world titles up for grabs and that’s really important for any team. Plus time trials are also important for Grand Tours. Nobody can fight for victory and even go close if you don’t invest in time trialing, it’s vital.” 

Tejay van Garderen: It’s always good to start on the front foot

For Tejay van Garderen, today’s win was a perfect way to start the week of racing and his GC ambitions.

 

“It’s incredible. It’s a great start to the week. We gained time on some rivals for the GC and a nice stage victory so the morale is good,” van Garderen said after the podium ceremony.

 

“We didn’t really know how close it was. We paced it perfectly and as long as you come out on top you can’t really complain. It’s definitely motivating to have the jersey in the team with Daniel. We also have Jim Ochowicz and Andy Rihs here so it’s great to win in front of them. We’re just excited and happy to go forward.

 

“We won the stage and took a chunk of time on our rivals. It’s always good to start on the front foot rather than on the back.

“You never want to give away time, you take what ever you can. A one-week race usually comes down to seconds, so that’s what we wanted.

“We took significant time. Once we get to the summit finish, the other days and the last time trial, some of those deficits might be a factor. I wouldn’t say we're safe with this time advantage but it’s a good way to start.

 

”You’ve got to be good at everything. You don’t win a race with just one weapon. You’ve got to climb, you’ve got time trial, and you’ve got be attentive in the sprints and tricky stages. You can’t be behind gaps.

“Taylor is one of the best in the business in these events. He’s really coming back into his own and he put in a stellar performance today. That’s exciting to see. Everyone was so strong. I’m so happy for Daniel to be able to wear the leader’s jersey in his home country. It’s a huge honour for him. We rode it perfectly, it was a great performance.”

 

BMC sports director: The riders were excellent in their execution

BMC Racing Team Sports Director Max Sciandri said today’s stage was another chance for the team to demonstrate their dominance in the TTT.

 

“Everything went to plan in the TTT today and the riders were excellent in their execution. It was close but a win’s a win and we are really happy,” Sciandri said.

 

“Going into stage 2 tomorrow and the rest of the race we will be focused on protecting Tejay and going for stage wins when the opportunity presents itself.”

 

Stage 2 of Tirreno Adriatico is a long one at 207km from Camaiore – Pomarance.

 

“It’s a pretty tough last 60km tomorrow so it will be a good stage that’s for sure,” Sciandri confirmed.

 

Tony Martin: It’s hard to say where we lost those seconds

Gianluca Brambilla, Fernando Gaviria, Bob Jungels Yves Lampaert, Tony Martin, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin and Julien Vermote were the eight riders who put in a solid ride in stage 1 of Tirreno-Adriatico, a 22.7-km long team time trial in Lido di Camaiore.

 

The squad had a very good start and at the intermediate check came two seconds ahead of FDJ, who was first at that point. In the second part of the course, even though the wind was causing problems, Etixx – Quick-Step still pushed hard and increased the advantage it had over the French team, finishing its effort in under 24 minutes, 23:57, thanks to an average speed of 56.98 km/h.

 

Unfortunately, despite their impressive effort on the flat and fast course, the riders didn't rack up the 17th win of the season, as BMC – who was among the late starters – crossed the line two seconds better than them and climbed on the top spot of the podium at the end of the day. Still, there was reason to smile for Etixx – Quick-Step at the arrival, as 24-year-old Yves Lampaert, who is racing Tirreno-Adriatico for the first time in his career, received the best young riders jersey, which he'll wear on Thursday, between Camaiore and Pomarance (207 kilometers), on a stage which is going to finish in a short uphill.

 

"It's not funny to be beaten by two seconds, but the boys had a beautiful performance, considering we don't have a TT-orientated team for this race. It hurts a little to come up short, but it's also a good sign for the next stages, as finishing ahead of many strong team shows that the condition is there", said sport director Brian Holm, whose feelings were echoed by three-time ITT World Champion Tony Martin: "We did a quite good ride and came just two seconds behind. Looking back, it's hard to say where we lost two seconds. Despite arriving second, I am happy with the team, as all the guys stuck to the plan and kept the speed throughout the day."

 

Gianluca Brambilla: I have to get the maximu out of my good form

"We were really strong , with Jungels, Stybar and Martin we did ​​a big stage,” Brambilla told Spaziociclismo. “We have done a very good time trial, we were regular until the finish. I thank the team for letting me cross the line first.

 

"The expectations are to win as much as possible. The condition is there and you have to hold on in these times to win as much as possible. I will not look at the standings. I will take what comes and when I'm in front, if the leg will assist me, I will make the right move.

 

"I think I've earned the trust of the team and the teammates, with hard work. In addition to working as much for my teammates, I managed to get the results. The confidence that I received is well-deserved and I thank the team.”

 

FDJ and Thibaut Pinot confirm huge improvement by surprise third in Tirreno TTT

FDJ were the big surprise in third place.

 

"We have already improved during the last 3-4 years,” sports director Julien Pinot told VeloPro. “It is true that this year we have made another step. The victory at La Mediterraneenne was already a strong sign. We beat Astana. It was a good reference, but it was not the WorldTour level. Here at Tirreno, looking at the teams on paper, we can really be satisfied. We delivered ​​an almost perfect performance.

 

"The minimum goal was to be in the top 10. We dreamed a top 5. But the podium is really a great performance. Furthermore we were just behind the last two world champions. It's really a big big performance."

 

"Everyone knew exactly what he had to do. We tried to do this event at our best. This winter, Thibaut [Pinot] asked us to form the best possible team for the team time trial. The guys knew that everything started with this event.

 

"I think the turning point for the team was the first Worlds in Valkenburg .It was not good at all. Therefore, we wanted to progress in this disciplin. In parallel, Thibaut was more interested in overall rankings and some events have a team time trial. It motivated the team and the riders for this discipline they did not necessarily appreciate before. This is the first thing. The second is that we have progressed nicely. We also have good road captains. We already had William Bonnet who knows the team time trials from Crédit Agricole.He brought us a lot of experience, as did Steve Morabito from BMC.

 

"We work a lot with partners. Everything is perfect. Everything is set up well, both physically, technically and tactically and now also the equipment. 

 

"It's good for Thibaut. In the last individual time trial Thibaut was also great, compared to his opponents. Now, even after a team time trial, he is a little ahead of the other favorites. Today Valverde is almost twenty seconds behind. Nibali is only ten seconds behind, but it is better to be ahead than to be ten or thirty seconds behind as was our case in recent years. He can have much more confidence. And when we take third, we know that the team has the level to be there and support him. It gives a lot of confidence to the group.

 

"Everything is going good and he wants to do at least as well as he did here last year.”

 

Tinkoff after fourth place in team time trial: Maciej Bodnar was our engine

Tinkoff’s Tirreno-Adriatico campaign got off to an excellent start with a good performance at the opening Team Time Trial. The team worked well together on the 22.7km course running through the streets of the renowned seaside town of Lido di Camaiore, finishing with a time of 24’06”.

 

With a course that raced past Oleg Tinkov’s house and in conditions that would make for fast times, Tinkoff’s riders were aiming to impress on the first stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico. After an early start as the second team out on the Team Time Trial, it was a matter of waiting to see how the other teams performed after setting a strong time of 24’06” and taking an early lead.

 

Sport Director, Lars Michaelsen, was impressed with Tinkoff’s performance. “We can be proud of the team today, they did a great job and supported each other well. As always you can’t have eight riders on the same level in a team time trial so it’s a challenge for the strongest to keep it balanced. Oleg Tinkov experienced it from a front row seat today and tried to cheer them up – he saw they were really fighting for it.”

 

“We had a small struggle to pick up the speed again in the last 10km and at the end everyone was on the limit. It’s fair to say that Maciej Bodnar was our big engine out there, but everybody did their best so I’m happy.”

 

With all teams in, Tinkoff narrowly missed out on a podium position, coming in 4th, 11 seconds down on eventual winners, BMC.

 

Adam Blythe was full of praise for the team but saw opportunities for himself to improve. “The performance of the team was fantastic – I think the team did a super good job and we did a good time. I wanted to pull a bit harder towards the end and take longer but didn’t have the legs.”

 

"It was a time-trial where we wanted to give our best.” said Oscar Gatto after the team came home. “We prepared thoroughly and took care of every detail. In addition, we rode past the home of our team owner, Oleg Tinkov, so it was important to perform well. There is still a long way in the Tirreno-Adriatico and we now focus on the stages ahead. We have two strong leaders, Peter Sagan and Roman Kreuziger and we will all work hard to support them."

 

Michaelsen was waiting to see how tomorrow’s stage would develop. “Tomorrow the responsibility is with another team, so we can sit in and wait. With Peter Sagan, it depends on his recovery – it’s quite a challenging last 10-12km and you need to be fresh to go there when the attacks come so we will see how it pans out on the road.”

 

IAM confirm new status as team time trial specialists

IAM were fifth

 

“I am happy with what we have accomplished,” Stef Clement said after his effort for the day. “We stayed together as eight riders for a long time. Everyone took his relay exactly as he was supposed to. The plan was followed to the millimeter. I don’t think that we made any mistakes. We have made progress in this discipline, which can be complicated and technical. Our fifth place attests to this. We have finished in our rightful place and we do not have to be ashamed of this result.”

 

"Technically, I can find no fault in how the riders performed,” Rik Verbrugghe confessed. “The stage was 22 kilometers long, and we are only 12 seconds off the winning time by BMC, a team that has already been the world champion in team time trials twice. Globally, they are currently the reference team. I am convinced that with a little more luck, and riders all in their best form, we could have a place on the podium.”

 

Mathias Frank and Jarlinson Pantano’s places in the general classification. Just twelve seconds separate the two IAM Cycling riders from Daniel Oss (BMC), the current holder of the blue leader’s jersey. 

 

“The first stage was definitely an important day for the final classification,” explained Leigh Howard, who was one of the big engines for the team on Wednesday. “Of course these 22 kilometers will not determine everything, but it was important to be among the best. And we were. We have been able to place our leaders Frank and Pantano in a good position ahead of the next two stages. The team time trial is far from my favorite event, but on Wednesday I was able to use my experiences and strengths that I have acquired from racing on the track. I am happy and proud to have been able to help the team in this event today.”

 

The streets of Lido di Camaiore proved not to be unknown to Rik Verbrugghe. The IAM Cycling sports manager won a great solo victory here during the seventh stage of the 2002 Tour of Italy

 

Astana: Vincenzo Nibali gained time on some important rivals

Astana Pro Team finished sixth in the TTT that opened the 2016 edition of the Tirreno-Adriatico. The team finished 15 seconds behind BMC Racing Team.

"It was a good performance,” said sport director Alexandr Shefer. The boys have done a good job and we managed to gain a few seconds on direct competitors for the final victory.”

 

"It was a time trial where you had to make the maximum speed,” said Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev. “And I believe that we have succeeded. We have always been regular and the fact that we arrived with 7 means that we were a compact team.”

 

Bauke Mollema: I hope to keep these good sensations throughout the week

Tirreno-Adriatico kicked off with a flat 22.7-kilometer team time trial, a test of the strongest team against the clock, and a check of wills for the general classification contenders as they fought to limit losses in the overall battle. Trek-Segafredo finished the fast, non-technical race in a time of 24:12 (56.281km/h), 17 seconds behind the winning team, BMC Racing.

 

"A TTT is always hard," said Bauke Mollema, the team's GC leader for the seven-day WorldTour race in Italy. "I think at some points we were not fast enough, but overall we did a good time trial. It was not technical; it was just power with two long straights. In the last few kilometers, some guys did one last big pull to give everything for the team since we only had to finish with 5. Everyone did his best.”

 

"As a GC guy, you have to always be there and be careful not to blow up. Actually, I like team time trials, and I felt quite good and made some good pulls. I felt I could keep the same speed as the other guys. I had good sensations today, and I hope I do the rest of the week as well."

 

Trek-Segafredo started with eight and to its pre-race plan finished with five, sacrificing three riders who could pull beyond their limit before the end to help better the team's position. With Fabian Cancellara captaining the squad, and Mollema surrounded by other strong rouleurs, the team guarded his GC hopes perfectly.

 

"The goal of the day was to place Bauke as best as possible against the other contenders for the GC," explained team trainer Josu Larrazabal. "In this case, we did very well since we are ahead of Valverde, Chaves, Rodriguez, Poels, Pozzovivo…

 

"The race has the same format as last year with a big uphill finish and then the final day 10km TT, so the top GC spots will more than likely be decided by seconds. So it's good to start a few seconds ahead of these guys."

 

"Our start could have been better, but from four kilometers onward we did a good TT – fast and smooth. Overall we are satisfied with the result, and now we have to see how the rest of the week will go."

 

Etixx-Quick Step (+2") and FDJ (+9") rounded out the top three teams. Daniel Oss was granted the leader's jersey as the first rider for BMC across the finish line.

Michal Kwiatkowski: We didn’t lose the race in today’s team time trial

Team Sky got off to a solid start at Tirreno-Adriatico by taking eighth place on the opening team time trial stage. The team clocked an average speed of 56kmph over the pan-flat 22.7km route along the shores of Lido di Camaiore, and that proved just 21 seconds short of BMC Racing's winning time of 23 minutes and 55 seconds.

 

Team Sky were the 17th of 23 teams to roll down the start ramp, and crossed the line with six riders after Michal Golas and Elia Viviani had swung off following their earlier efforts.

 

Team leaders Wout Poels and Michal Kwiatkowski didn't suffer any problems, and Kwiatkowski was happy with the result when TeamSky.com spoke to him immediately after the stage.

 

"We did everything correctly on the road - we were all committed and went as fast as possible. We only lost 21 seconds to the winning team, and that's not a big gap with six days of racing still to go.

 

"The race was never going to be won today, but it was possible to lose it. That didn't happen so we're looking forward to tomorrow now."

 

In stark contrast to the wintery conditions at Paris-Nice, the weather in Italy was dry and sunny and the lead changed hands on four occasions before BMC Racing posted a time that no-one else could beat.

 

Etixx-Quick - Step had led before them, and ended the day in second position, just two seconds adrift, with FDJ rounding out the podium a further seven seconds in arrears.

 

With those results in the bag, Team Sky's attentions quickly turned to Thursday's stage - the longest of the race - which features a punchy climb in the last 5km.

 

Kwiatkowski is being tipped as a potential stage winner on Thursday, but the man himself insists the general classification remains his primary concern.

 

He added: "Tomorrow is a tough stage to predict; we don't know how it's going to turn out yet.

 

"Wout and I are concentrating on the whole race, not specific stages. We'll try and keep ourselves near the front of the peloton and potentially save our legs for the harder mountain stages to come."

 

Orica-GreenEDGE after ninth place in TTT: With this young team, it was a good result

Orica-GreenEDGE crossed the finish line on stage one of the 51st Tirreno-Adriatico with a time of 24 minutes and 20 seconds for the 22.7 kilometre course, taking ninth place in the standings.

 

Sports Director Matthew White was happy with the team’s performance on the opening stage.

“It was a really solid effort from the young team that we have here, it’s not our natural pursuit but we did well and it was a great start.

 

“We have a lot of ambitions as a team and a balanced squad for what we want to achieve here this week.”

 

At the races opening press conference on Tuesday Colombian Esteban Chaves took his place at the top table among the contenders for the overall victory of the race. Brushing off the talk of pressure and expectation, Chaves empahasized the importance of his teammates and getting off to a good start in the race.

 

White continued in this vein when asked about the team’s position after stage one.

 

“The big danger for anyone riding with an eye on the General Classification would be to lose a considerable amount of time on stage one, because it would be difficult to make that time up against the big riders that are here.

 

“We are in the ballpark and that could be important at the end of the week.”

 

Huge time loss for Alejandro Valverde in opening team time trial

With Castroviejo and Malori out due to injuries and a smaller chance of glory for the squad on a completely flat route, lacking any technical difficulties, the Movistar Team could only take 10th place at the opening, 22.7km team time trial of Tirreno-Adriatico, 29" behind BMC, which brought Daniel Oss into the lead of the 'Race of the Two Seas.'

 

Keeping its group compact until the finish and riding strong in the second part of the course where they limited losses after a difficult, opening 9km out of Camaiore, the Blues kept Alejandro Valverde in a decent position GC-wise, the Italian event offering plenty of opportunities for him. The first one should come on Thursday, as a tricky, demanding finish in Pomarance puts an end into the 207km stage two.

 

Mechanical for Battaglin costly for LottoNL-Jumbo in Tirreno-Adriatico TTT

Team LottoNL-Jumbo finished in the middle of the results sheet in the opening Tirreno-Adriatico team time trial today. The Dutch team lost 38 seconds to winner BMC Racing in the 22.7-kilometre stage along Lido di Camaiore’s coast. BMC’s Daniel Oss took the first leader’s blue jersey.

 

“The result isn’t great, but good enough,” sports director Jan Boven said after the team time trial.

 

Team LottoNL-Jumbo lost Enrico Battaglin early in the day when his saddle sank too low into his frame. Just before the halfway point, Timo Roosen was distanced.

 

“We missed those two riders on our way back to the finish. The time trial was two straight 10-kilometre parts. On the return, we had headwind. That part was about fighting. We did that well, but with two more riders, we could have made the difference.”

 

Moreno Hofland played an important role.

 

“I was feeling good,” the sprinter said. “But everyone was quite strong. We were unlucky with losing Enrico. Those little things make a big difference in a team time trial. Timo had to deliver a big effort and may have done a little bit too much. It’s a pity and we missed them on our return.”

 

The organiser planned a tough stage for Thursday with a 18% hill near the finish line.

 

“It’s really going to be hard,” Boven said. “It’s a long stage with a tough final. I’m very familiar with the area we’re crossing tomorrow and I promise that it will be difficult. We want to deliver Primoz Roglic to the finish as well as possible. It will be interesting to see if Enrico recovered from his crash in Strade Bianche.”

 

Pozzovivo: It was not our terrain

" In the team time trial we were not on our preferred ground, " Domenico Pozzovivo told Spaziociclismo. "We limited the'damage, then we'll see whether we can recover the ground on Sunday.

 

"The next stage is already challenging. It is not for climbers, however, the GC riders must stay ahead and avoid risks."

 

Katusha: Joaquim Rodriguez’ GC is not over yet

The opening day of the 51st Tirreno-Adriatico kicked off with a 22,7 km team time trial in Lido di Camaiore. Team KATUSHA gave their best effort, taking 14th place on the day, and sports director José Azevedo liked what he saw in both fitness and enthusiasm.

 

“Of course we always hope for more in the TTT but when you look at the riders we have brought here, most of them climbers, and a perfectly flat 23 km course that goes straight out and back, suited for power riders, we missed the type of rider that can sustain power for a long period of time. When you look at the actual performance of the team, we performed very well. Based on what I saw today, I like what I saw in the shape of our guys and I’m optimistic about the days to come. I also saw good motivation from the guys. OK, so we finished in the middle of the classification, but the team rode well and everyone gave their maximum. I applaud them for their effort today,” said team director José Azevedo.

 

With the win comes the first blue leader’s jersey onto the back of BMC’s Daniel Oss. Teammates Tejay van Garderen and Greg Van Avermaet complete the top three. Team KATUSHA’s position is 59-seconds off the lead of Oss.

 

“This does not mean the GC is lost for us. Yes, we have lost almost one minute but there are two mountain stages where we will see differences made. Also tomorrow’s stage is very tricky. The last 4 km are complicated and we should see some selection there. We will fight for the best result possible,” concluded Azevedo.

 

Dimension Data after disappointing TTT: We had hoped for more

Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka were the 3rd team to start on the day, meaning there were no benchmark times from which to gauge their effort. At the finish, the African Team came across the line in a time of 24'58". With the other World Tour teams aiming at their time, they would eventually place 15th out of 23 teams. Despite the Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka riders averaging 54.5km/h during the stage, BMC Racing stopped the clock 1'03" faster to place their rider, Daniel Oss, in the race leader’s jersey.

 

Attention will be focused on the upcoming road stages where the African Team are motivated to stand on the top step of the podium.

 

“We were motivated for today's team time trial. I saw the results now at the finish and it was not what we had expected. We have already lost time which will affect our general classification but we are looking forward to the week, aiming to win stages. Obviously today did not go according to plan but it is not every day that things will always work out, we keep on going from here as there is a lot to race for this week,” Sbaragli said.

 

CCC best wildcard team in Tirreno-Adriatico team time trial

CCC Sprandi Polkowice kicked off Tirreno-Adiratico with 16th place in the opening team time trial.

CCC Sprandi Polkowice was the fifth team to start. Victor de la Parte, Davide Rebellin, Leszek Pluciński, Łukasz Owsian, Nikolay Mihaylov, Jarosław Marycz, Adrian Honkisz and Simone Ponzi were representing the orange colors. They posted a time of 24:59.

 

Honkisz, Ponzi and Pluciński gave their all in the first part of the time trial to put the rest of the team in a good position to set a good result. When De la Parte, Rebellin, Mihaylov, Owsian and Marycz crossed the line, they were in 5th place. After the last team to take off, Astana, they were ranked 16th, 1:04 off the pace. The Polkowice-based squad defeated all of the Professional Continental teams and 3 World Tour teams.

 

Marycz is the highest ranked CCC Sprandi Polkowice rider in general classification – he sits in 101st place.

 

Bora-Argon 18: We still have chances in the GC at Tirreno-Adriatico

Bora-Argon 18 had a solid start with about 20 seconds off the best time at the only split time. The team worked well together, with no one being dropped early. Also in the second part of the course it was a solid ride at a steady pace which brought the team all together on the home straight. They crossed the line with a time of 25:06, which means 17th place in today’s results. 1:11 down on the race leader Daniel Oss, all chances are open for a good GC result.

 

“The performance today was solid. I hoped for a little more, but it was a tight race especially between 11th and 18th place. I think we started well and found our rhythm, but in the end we could not accelerate any more. The time gap is not too big, so I think on the GC side we have still all chances. Tomorrow will be a hard finish, so now the most important thing is to recover well,” Enrico Poitschke, sports director, said.

 

Team Giant-Alpecin: We did a reasonable TTT

Team Giant-Alpecin ranked 18th on the opening team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico, 1’23’’ behind the winning team BMC Racing Team.

 

With not too many corners and technical sections, the team completed the 22.7km relatively flat course around Lido Di Camaiore (IT) in 25’18”, sufficient for an 18th place in the stage ranking.

 

Coach Marc Reef said:

 

”We did a reasonable TTT, where we made some small mistakes but overall the team did a good job. The preparation went as planned and we managed to finish in 18th place.”

 

Disappointing start for Lampre-Merida in Tirreno-Adriatico

The average speed of 53.728 km/h which characterized the performance of Lampre-Merida was not enough to obtain a better result than the 19th position in the first stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico.

 

Cattaneo, Conti, Ferrari, Modolo, Mori, Niemiec, Ulissi and Zurlo covered the long straight from Lido di Camaiore to Forte dei Marmi and back in 25'21", 1'26" more than the time of the winning team.

 

The attention of the team of the sports directors Maini and Marzano moves to the 2nd stage which could be suitable for Ulissi.

 

Rigoberto Uran forced to end GC campaign after team time trial crash

Cannondale Pro Cycling Team started the 51st edition of Tirreno-Adriatico with two potential options for the general classification in Rigoberto Uran and Davide Formolo. A crash on the opening stage team time trial in Lido di Camaiore involving four of the team’s eight riders has forced the Argyle Armada to shift focus. For the remaining six stages of the seven day Italian stage race, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team will focus on stage ambitions.

 

“We started out strong,” said sport director Fabrizio Guidi. “We were really fast. At one point on the race course, something happened in the middle of the group between riders. They touched each other and four guys crashed. We were forced to stop and wait for the fifth.”

 

Leaving behind Ramunas Navardauskas and Sebastian Langeveld, Cannondale Pro Cycling Team forged ahead with six riders. By stage end, they had clocked a time of 25:58 over the 22.7 kilometer effort, 2:03 off the winning time set by BMC.

 

“We’ve lost enough time that we need to stop thinking about the general classification,” said Guidi. “But we were strong today. We were very strong. We were together with the best teams from the data we took from the riders. It’s clear the guys are in maximum shape at this time. That’s a good point, and we needed to take the good point from today.”

 

“We will talk tonight about what happened this afternoon, but then we need to move forward,” Guidi added. “The group is disappointed, but it doesn’t matter. We need to be focused and stay focused on the next stages and be confident in our strengths.”

 

While none of the riders involved in Wednesday’s crashed appeared injured, all will meet with the team doctor tonight at the race hotel.

 

“When you crash, it always hurts, but I don’t think we have any injuries,” said Guidi. “The doctor knows better than me. He will check all the riders, but it’s better to have a report from our doctor than me. Let’s see.”