March 11, 2016 – BMC Racing Team won the 22.7km Lido di Camaiore Team Time Trial, the opening stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico NamedSport 2016. Etixx – Quick Step and FDJ teams finished second and third. Crossing the line first, the Italian rider Daniel Oss is the new race General Classification leader, wearing the first Maglia Azzurra.

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the new race leader said: “This is amazing! We came here with the team time trial as our first goal. 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”.

The 22.7km long inaugural Team Time Trial of the 51st Tirreno-Adriatico NamedSport has become the fastest in the history of the race with world champions BMC Racing Team coming home at the average speed of 56,947km/h.

The first blue jersey went to Daniel Oss who was the first man of the American-registered team to cross the line but he was prompt to explain that he’s an interim race leader with the aim of passing the baton onto Tejay van Garderen later on. In the press conference Oss dedicated the jersey to now injured Adriano Malori, who won the opening Time Trial last year in this race.

BMC Racing Team rode only two seconds faster than Etixx – Quick Step led by Tony Martin, while the surprise of the day came from French outfit FDJ who clocked the third best time, only nine seconds adrift. This is a strong indication of Thibaut Pinot’s ambitions for the Race of the Two Seas.

With a deficit of only 11 seconds, Tinkoff (4th) has positioned Peter Sagan close enough to the blue jersey, should he make the best of stage 2 which is set to suit him with a hill comprising sections with gradients between 14 and 15% in the finale. A crash involving Rigoberto Uran and Ramunas Navardauskas explains the deficit of Cannondale Pro Cycling (2.03) who finished last.

Press conference declarations by the first race leader Daniel Oss: “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.”

Stage 2
The Czech rider Zdenek Stybar (Etixx – Quick Step) won Stage 2 of Tirreno-Adriatico NamedSport, from Camaiore to Pomarance of 207km. Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) finished second and third.

Thanks to his victory, Stybar is the new race General Classification leader, wearing the Maglia Azzurra.

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner and new race leader said: “I knew about the finale since I recce’d it with our sport director Davide Bramati. I knew it suited me perfectly. I also knew that I had good form since I did well at the Strade Bianche [2nd]. I attacked at the right moment when it was very steep just inside 3km to go. I’m delighted to lead the race now, I’ll try to win the overall but I can’t promise I’ll do it because there’s an uphill finish on Sunday that might be too hard for me.”

Zdenek Stybar obtained today a spectacular stage victory in the difficult finale of stage 2 to Pomarance. The Czech star who made his name in cyclocross prior to switching to road racing crossed the line one second ahead of top finisseurs Peter Sagan and Edvald Boasson Hagen. He also took the blue jersey of race leader as well as the first position in the points competition and the King of the Mountains prize while his team-mate Bob Jungels made it a clean sweep for the Belgian outfit as he claimed the white jersey of best young rider.

A group of six riders rode away from the gun just outside Camaiore: Simone Andreetta (Bardiani CSF), Giorgio Cecchinel (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Argon 18), Luis Mas (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Nikolay Mikhailov (CCC Sprandi-Polkowice) and Federico Zurlo (Lampre-Merida). They developed a maximum lead of 6.40 but heir adventure came to an end with 10km to go, after which Giovanni Visconti (Movistar Team), Mirko Selvaggi (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) and Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) launched successive attacks with 5.7km, 3.5km and 3km to go respectively. Only 2.8km remained when Stybar rode away solo taking advantage of the steepest part of the climb selected by former Olympic and world champion Paolo Bettini, who lives nearby. Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Pro Team) tried to bridge the gap by himself but Stybar was out of reach.

Press conference declarations by the winner and race leader Zednek Stybar: “It was a stage that our sport director Davide Bramati told me two weeks ago could be a good one for me. But before you are there, you never know how the race will develop. People compare my victory today with the one I got at the Tour de France last year but it’s a different one. I went from a bit far out this time – I’m really happy with the timing of my attack. I looked behind and saw that nobody was coming across. I’m glad we passed through the finishing town once before the end of the race: it gave me a chance to check the finish out and I had it in mind. I knew I could recover in the downhill and the curves, that’s what I did and then I went full gas with 200m to go. It’s very important to win ahead of the Spring classics. I’ve already done Milan-Sanremo three times but always in difficult weather conditions so I’m not sure how it can unfold this year. Anyway, it’s a 300km long race and it’s not only about being able to attack in the Poggio like I did today.”

Stage 3
The Colombian rider Fernando Gaviria (Etixx – Quick Step) won Stage 3 of Tirreno-Adriatico NamedSport, from Castelnuovo Val di Cecina to Montalto di Castro of 176km, in a bunch sprint. Caleb Ewan (Orica GreenEdge) and Elia Viviani (Team Sky) finished second and third.

Zdenek Ztybar maintains the race General Classification as leader, wearing the Maglia Azzurra.

Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner said: “It’s been a very hard race today, especially for me coming fresh from the Track World Championships. All the teams were trying to win the stage. I’m extremely satisfied. The last 200 metres have been perfect. Etixx – Quick Step is such a great team, we’re ready to win on any kind of terrain”.

The race leader Zdenek Stybar said: “I’m really happy with keeping the jersey but even more with [the team] winning this stage with Fernando Gaviria. Our guys have been working hard from start to finish so it’s wonderful to see our young sprinter finishing it off. This is another great day for us at this race”.

Results

Stage 1
1. BMC Racing Team 0:23:55
Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team
Jean-Pierre DrSpeaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner said: “It’s been a very hard race today, especially for me coming fresh from the Track World Championships. All the teams were trying to win the stage. I’m extremely satisfied. The last 200 metres have been perfect. Etixx – Quick Step is such a great team, we’re ready to win on any kind of terrain”.

The race leader Zdenek Stybar said: “I’m really happy with keeping the jersey but even more with [the team] winning this stage with Fernando Gaviria. Our guys have been working hard from start to finish so it’s wonderful to see our young sprinter finishing it off. This is another great day for us at this race”.

Press conference interviews and further details to follow.ucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team 0:02:08
Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:03:05

2. Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:02
Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
Yves Lampaert (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step
Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx – Quick-Step
Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step
Tony Martin (Ger) Etixx – Quick-Step
Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step
Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step
Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:19

3. FDJ 0:00:09
Johan Le Bon (Fra) FDJ
Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ
Alexandre Geniez (Fra) FDJ
Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) FDJ
Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ
Steve Morabito (Sui) FDJ 0:00:37
Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ
William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ 0:02:20

4. Tinkoff Team 0:00:11
Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff Team
Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team
Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team
Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team
Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff Team 0:00:23
Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Team 0:02:43
Adam Blythe (Gbr) Tinkoff Team 0:04:25

5. IAM Cycling 0:00:12
Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling
Reto Hollenstein (Sui) IAM Cycling
Stef Clement (Ned) IAM Cycling
Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling
Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling
Mathias Frank (Sui) IAM Cycling
Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling
Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling 0:01:32

6. Astana Pro Team 0:00:15
Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Michele Scarponi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Bakhtiyar Kozhatayev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
Eros Capecchi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team 0:03:21

7. Trek-Segafredo 0:00:17
Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek-Segafredo
Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
Stijn Devolder (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
Markel Irizar (Esp) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:23
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:58
Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo

8. Team Sky 0:00:21
Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky
Peter Kennaugh (Gbr) Team Sky
Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky
Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Team Sky
Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky 0:00:55
Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky 0:04:11

9. Orica-GreenEdge 0:00:25
Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
Esteban Chaves (Col) Orica-GreenEdge
Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge
Adam Yates (Gbr) Orica-GreenEdge
Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge
Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge 0:03:15
Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdge 0:04:11

10. Movistar Team 0:00:29
Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Movistar Team
Nelson Oliveira (Por) Movistar Team
Daniel Moreno (Esp) Movistar Team
Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar Team
Andrey Amador (Crc) Movistar Team
Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team 0:03:25
Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team

Stage 2

1. Zdenek Štybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 5:10:03
2. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:00:01
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data
4. Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling
5. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Esp) Movistar Team
6. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team
7. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
8. Tiesj Benoot (Bel) Lotto Soudal
9. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
10. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step

142. Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale 7:30
170. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 11:13

Stage 3
1. Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step 4:17:28
2. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge
3. Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky
4. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team
5. Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling
6. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
7. Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin
8. Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida
9. Moreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo
10. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin

64. Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale
177. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 3:02

GC after Stage 3

1. Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step 9:51:18
2. Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team 0:00:09
3. Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team
4. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) BMC Racing Team
5. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
6. Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step 0:00:11
7. Bob Jungels (Lux) Etixx – Quick-Step
8. Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team 0:00:14
9. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ 0:00:18
10. Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui) FDJ

133. Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale 9:20
172. Svein Tuft (Can) Orica-GreenEdge 14:48