French climber Warren Barguil won the 5th stage of Tirreno-Adriatico alone on Friday, 155 hilly km between Sefro in the Marches at Fermo near the Adriatic.
Member of the breakaway of twelve riders which formed a hundred kilometers from the finish, the Breton attacked in two stages, a first time at 5 km then another at the start of the final climb of Fermo where Tadej Pogagar kept his leader’s azzurro jersey.
Already at the front of the race the day before, “Wawa” was the strongest in the last three kilometers in roller coasters including a first ramp of 800 meters displaying up to 21% of slope.
He succeeds Slovak Peter Sagan who won ahead of Thibaut Pinot at the same finish of the “race of the two seas” in 2017.
This is his 7th victory but the first in WorldTour since 2017 and his memorable double of stages in the Tour de France.
Pogacar still overall leader
The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar still dominates the general classification almost unchanged despite a switch problem which could have cost the Belgian Remco Evenepoel dearly.
The day was marked by five abandonments, in particular that of the Ukrainian Mark Padun (EF Education First). The surprise winner of two stages of the last Dauphiné criterium was 92nd more than 16 minutes behind leader Tadej Pogacar before the start.
The Ecuadorian climber Richard Carapaz (Ineos), left behind the day before and affected by a “gastric infection” according to his team, as well as the French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa Samsic), “as a precaution”, did not start.
The queen stage on Saturday offering two ascents of Monte Carpegna (6 km at 9.9% average gradient) in the Apennines, will undoubtedly crown the winner before a final day promised to the sprinters.