Running concurrently with Paris-Nice, Tirreno-Adriatico is the other big European stage race season opener, and boasts a deep start list full of stage racing talent.
It’s an esteemed startlist, but lacking any of the very elite GC men. Neither Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar or Primož Roglič, who between them account for every overall title here since 2021, are present, setting up a race with a very open looking GC providing opportunities for the second tier of stage racers who are so often frustrated by those riders.
The start list is instead full of many other top stage race contenders, who have their eye on the Giro d’Italia this year. As an Italian stage race, it’s a useful pathway for that Grand Tour, in order to build form for that race.
Here’s who we think is best placed to challenge for GC, as well as hunt the stage wins on offer on flat and punchy terrain.
Adam Yates / Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates)
With three stage race titles already this year, plus several other Classics and stage wins, UAE Team Emirates have become the team to beat in most races they take part in. Such is their squad depth that they can afford to not bring star man Tadej Pogačar and still have not one but two of the race’s top overall contenders in Adam Yates and Juan Ayuso.
Yates has been one of the most successful riders in recent years for week long stage races like this, delivering the team overall titles at both the Tour de Suisse (2024) and Tour de Romandie (2023) and is already in form having triumphed at the Tour of Oman; Ayuso meanwhile, is a still improving prospect who was second overall last year, and could use the opening time trial (which he won last year) to stake an early claim to be the team’s primary protected rider. Both are vying for leadership at the Giro d’Italia in a few months, so there could be some internal rivalry.
Simon Yates (Visma-Lease a Bike)
Simon Yates will at last make his debut for new team Visma-Lease a Bike at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he’ll be tasked with following in the footsteps of Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič by delivering the team a third successive overall title here. Yates hasn’t actually won a WorldTour stage race since the 2020 edition of this race, but will be hoping that riding for a new team will give the same boost to his career as it did for his brother Adam when he moved to UAE Team Emirates. Adam will be one of his main rivals for GC, and has a stronger line-up surrounding him, but Simon should still be well looked after with Cian Uijtdebroeks and Steven Kruijswijk at his disposal.
Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe)
You can never be quite sure what you’re going to get with Jai Hindley. When he’s good, he’s very good, as during his overall victory (2022) and runner-up finish (2020) at the Giro d’Italia; on other occasions though, he’s anonymous. Though he tends to attain his best levels over the long grind of a Grand Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico has been a happy hunting ground for him, and last year he finished third overall here in addition to fifth in 2022. His Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team want to be able to compete with Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates in races like this, so will be hoping he reaches better form than at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana last month, when he was ninth overall.
Mikel Landa (Soudal–Quick-Step)
Having not raced since September last year, we don’t know what kind of form Mikel Landa is going to be in at Tirreno-Adriatico, but there are positive signs that he’ll go well. In the absence of Remco Evenepoel, he will be the outright GC leader of Soudal–Quick-Step, a team he seems happy at and excelled during his first season riding for; and the parcours, with a couple of mountain top finishes and only 11.5km of time trialling on the first stage looks well-suited to him. He’s still never won GC at a WorldTour stage race, but has come closer at Tirreno-Adriatico than other stage races, twice making the podium in 2021 and 2022; without a standout overall favourite, he has a chance of at last claiming one this time.
Other GC contenders
On the basis of form, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) is a candidate for a high GC placing having finished best of the rest behind Pogačar at the UAE Tour, the only WorldTour stage race to have been completed so far this year. As is the ever-dependable Pello Bilbao (Bahrain-Victorious), who completed the podium behind them in the UAE; David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), who is starting to look like his old self again by finishing third overall at the Tour of Oman; and Laurens De Plus, who will be Ineos’ main man having finished third overall at the Volta ao Algarve.
If you’re more of a believer of the permanence of class over form, then Richard Carapaz(EF Education-EasyPost) will be one to watch. He’s made a slow start to 2025, finishing down in ninth overall at the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes, but has a killer instinct to fight for overall victory rather than merely a podium finish that arguably the above in-form riders lack.
Bilbao’s teammate Antonio Tiberi is another yet to show his best form last year, but big things are expected of the 23-year-old after his breakthrough season last year, and the opening time trial provides him a chance to gain an early advantage; as it also does for Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech), recent winner of the O Gran Camiño, and Ion Izagirre (Cofidis)
As the only former winner aside from Simon Yates on the startlist, Nairo Quintana (Movistar) merits a mention, but it seems unlikely the 35-year-old can still keep up with younger talents like Max Poole (Picnic-PostNL).
Stage hunters
Stages two and seven look likely to be bunch sprint finishes, for which Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) will be hot favourite for following his electric start to the season, which has included two stage wins apiece at both the UAE Tour and Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. He will however face stiff opposition, with Binian Girmay (Intermarché–Wanty), Dylan Groenewgen (Jayco-Alula), both of whom will be anxious at still being winless this year. In better form are Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike), Omloop Het Nieuwsblad champion Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Mobility), and bright young thing Paul Magnier (Soudal–Quick-Step).
Given the way he’s been climbing, Milan will also be a contender for the hillier days with more obstacles them on stages four and five, but will have to compete with elite puncheurs like Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), who won three stages at O Gran Camiño, Marc Hirschi (Tudor Pro Cycling) and the in-form Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling). Not to mention a certain Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck), making his stage race bow for the season having already triumphed at his surprise Le Samyn showing.
As for the opening time trial, home favourite Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) is the top contender for a stage he has already won the equivalent of in both 2023 and 2022; though he did miss out to Juan Ayuso last year.
