The prestigious Tirreno-Adriatico 2025 kicked off today, March 10, with its opening stage featuring an individual time trial held on the picturesque roads of Lido di Camaiore. The race, regarded as one of the most important early-season stage races on the men’s WorldTour, is set to last from March 10 to March 16, 2025, showcasing top talents such as Filippo Ganna, Juan Ayuso, and the Yates brothers as they gear up for their respective goals this cycling season.
Filippo Ganna, the Italian national time trial champion from Ineos Grenadiers, delivered an outstanding performance, winning the stage with a time of 12'17”. Ganna, who was determined to improve on last year’s narrow defeat to Ayuso, showcased his strength on the flat 11.5km course, which consisted of only two turns and primarily straight stretches along the beautiful Ligurian coast.
Juan Ayuso, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, finished second, crossing the line +23 seconds behind Ganna. The Spaniard’s time was 12’40”, marking him as one of the strong contenders this week, reflective of his form throughout the early season. Last year's winner of this opening time trial, Ayuso aimed to defend his position at the top.
The third spot went to Johan Price-Pejtersen of Alpecin-Deceuninck, who also put on a commendable effort, finishing +28 seconds behind Ganna with a time of 12'45”. Price-Pejtersen’s performance solidified his reputation as a formidable rival, particularly after he demonstrated strong form earlier this season.
Following the podium finishers, Antonio Tiberi of Bahrain Victorious came fourth, +29 seconds adrift, with Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek finishing fifth, trailing by 31 seconds. Other notable results included Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) finishing sixth, +34 seconds behind, and Mattia Cattaneo (Soudal-QuickStep) taking seventh place by sharing the same time as Gee.
The stage commenced with the first rider setting off at 12:45 CET, and riders saw varying conditions throughout the trial, with wind warnings and rain affecting the later starts. Despite the challenges, Ganna proved to be unfazed, finding his groove early on the course and gaining momentum as he approached the finish line.
This year’s edition of Tirreno-Adriatico runs parallel to Paris-Nice, drawing significant attention due to the absence of big names such as Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel who are participating elsewhere. This opens up the overall classification for riders like Adam Yates, who leads UAE Team Emirates-XRG and is aiming for personal success post the Tour of Oman.
On the other hand, Simon Yates is making his debut for Visma-Lease a Bike, giving him the chance to race independently, which could potentially lead to interesting dynamics between the twin riders.
The race comprises various stages, including challenging mountain tests, sprint stages, and another time trial, with Ganna’s victory today setting the tone for the rest of the week. The upcoming stages promise to be thrilling, with mixed terrains expected as rivals test their limits against one another.
The current top standings after Stage 1 are as follows: 1. Filippo Ganna (ITA) - 12'17”; 2. Juan Ayuso (ESP) - +23”; 3. Johan Price-Pejtersen (DEN) - +28”; 4. Antonio Tiberi (ITA) - +29”; 5. Jonathan Milan (ITA) - +31”; 6. Derek Gee (CAN) - +34”.
This week promises to be filled with exhilarating cycling as riders strive for positioning for the overall title and also prepare for their relevant goals, particularly the upcoming Giro d'Italia, where many are aiming for victory.