The Slovenian won his third stage victory in a row.
Slovenian Primoz Roglic won his third consecutive stage on Tirreno-Adriatico on Saturday, and virtually secured the final victory, on the eve of the last stage on Sunday, disputed on a flat course.
Roglic consolidated his blue leader’s jersey by sprinting a small group of strong men, in the cobbled streets on the heights of the village of Osimo. Britain’s Tao Geoghegan Hart takes second place, ahead of Portugal’s Joao Almeida.
This sixth stage, with false airs of classic Ardennes, offered the peloton 193 km chopped by several “walls” not very long but with percentages higher than 10%, even 15% in places.
Jumbo-Visma, Roglic’s team, was obviously aiming for the stage victory: the yellow jerseys worked for a long time not to let slip a breakaway of 11 riders who started very early.
Once the fugitives were recaptured, 40 km from the goal, Wout Van Aert worked for his leader Roglic, before letting go in the last difficulty. But the Slovenian then personally controlled all his rivals to clinch victory.
Barring an accident, the “race of the two seas” is won for him. The final stage on Sunday, a 154 km loop around San Benedetto del Tronto, offers a flat profile and should be reserved for sprinters.