Cavendish gets his sea legs in before the race of the 'due mari'
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The stars ahead of the seven stage Tirreno-Adriatico.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mark Cavendish (Sky) shakes the hand of the coast guard captain.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
"Which stage are you going to win Cadel?," jokes Gilbert.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nibali, Gilbert, Evans, Cavendish and Bennati pose with the trident trophy.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Cavendish takes on the role of Coast Guard for the day.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) looks more accustomed to bike riding than he is at sea.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Philippe Gilbert (BMC) has had a quiet start to the season, but his big goals are still more than a month away in the Ardennes.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Current and former world champions; Mark Cavendish (Sky) and Cadel Evans (BMC) greet eachother in Tirreno.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The riders looked a little bewildered on the coast guard boat. (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
This year's Tirreno-Adriatico promises to be another spectacular event.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mark Cavendish (Sky) is preparing for another crack at Milan-San Remo.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
BMC's star duo at the Tirreno press conference share a laugh: "Hard to imagine us losing this is it Phil?"(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The race of the 'two seas' was fittingly opened with riders alighting from a local coast guard patrol boat on a cold day on the Adriatic coast. The riders then answered questions from the assembled press about the race, and posed with the 'golden trident' to be awarded to the race winner in a week's time.
This year’s Tirreno-Adriatico is set to be one of most spectacular for years with Wednesday’s opening team time trial set to decide the first race leader of the race. A more balanced route than previous years will give all riders a chance to compete, with an individual time trial, two sprint stages, two hillier days and a mountain top finish at Prati di Tivo included in addition to the TTT opener.
2011 Tirreno-Adriatico winner Cadel Evans wears number one and leads a formidable BMC Racing Team. Other overall contenders include Italians Vincenzo Nibali, Michele Scarponi and Stefano Garzelli, Roman Kreuziger of the Czech Republic, Slovakia’s Peter Velits, Rafal Majka of Poland, Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain and Sweden’s Thomas Lovkvist. Fabian Cancellara, the winner of Saturday’s Strade Bianche race is also riding.
"To repeat last year's result here would be the ultimate indicator of my fitness - I'm trying to build my season as close to last year's preparation as I can," said Evans.
To see the gallery of the pre race press conference, and Cavendish on a boat, click here.
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