Mitchelton-Scott earns Tirreno-Adriatico team time trial win
Advantage Adam Yates after Race of the Two Seas' first stage
Adam Yates’s bid to win his first WorldTour stage race received a bump on Wednesday as his Mitchelton-Scott crew won Tirreno-Adriatico’s team time trial, clipping Primoz Roglic’s Jumbo-Visma by seven-seconds. Tom Dumoulin’s Sunweb was third, slower by 22-seconds.
#TirrenoAdriatico ?? WHAT A RIDE! ?
We set the fastest time and win the opening stage! ? pic.twitter.com/Sj4CfJ2By3
— Mitchelton-SCOTT (@MitcheltonSCOTT) March 13, 2019
The Course
On the Tyrrhenian coast, the riders would head north from Lido di Camaiore, turn around after 10.5-km and return to Lido.
The 54th #TirrenoAdriatico kicks off today with a 21.5km flat team time trial starting and finishing in Lido di Camaiore. pic.twitter.com/kmxJLEK1XP
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) March 13, 2019
The day started out wet and windy, but the course dried in places before the later teams launched. Early in the event, Bora-Hansgrohe collided with a spectator crossing the road.
Deceuninck-Quick Step had the lead with 32:02 until Jumbo stopped the clock 30-seconds quicker. The Belgian squad would end up fourth. Julian Alaphillipe is Deceuninck-Quick Step’s GC man for the Race of the Two Seas.
Mitchelton-Scott was the final team to finish, narrowly missing a women walking a dog in the final kilometre, with Michael Hepburn in the lead. Mustachioed Hepburn will wear the first blue leader’s jersey.
Sole Canadian Alexander Cataford’s Israel Cycling Academy did well, placing ninth.
Thursday is a hilly day with a moderate finishing climb to Pomarance.
2019 Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 1
1) Mitchelton-Scott 22:27
2) Jumbo-Visma +0:07
3) Sunweb +0:22
