If stage one of Tirreno-Adriatico proceeded as expected, with world team time trial champions Omega Pharma-Quickstep storming to the stage win, then stage two did anything but.
Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) crashed out of contention in the final two kilometres, Lotto-Belisol’s sprint train had already been wrecked by a crash and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quickstep) was stuck in the wheels come the bunch sprint.
It left Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) to take a surprising, but well-earned win, and remind organisers RCS Sport why many thought the Swiss team should have been given a wildcard for the Giro d’Italia.
Read on for our five observations from the first road stage of this year’s ‘Race of the Two Seas’, and share your own in the RCUK Forum.
