Thomas, Nibali, Dumoulin, Roglic and Alaphilippe talk with media about the week ahead
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Julian Alaphilippe pokes fun at Geraint Thomas with the Tirreno-Adriatico trident(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vimcenzo Nibali, Primoz roglic, Julian Alaphilippe, Geraint Thomas and Tom Dumoulin on the boardwalk after the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Julian Alaphilippe pokes fun at Geraint Thomas with the Tirreno-Adriatico trident(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Vincenzo Nibali and the Tirreno-Adriatico trident(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Julian Alaphilippe has four wins already in 2019(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Tom Dumoulin said Tirreno-Adriatico will come down to "seconds"(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Vincenzo Nibali at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Vimcenzo Nibali, Primoz roglic, Julian Alaphilippe, Geraint Thomas and Tom Dumoulin(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Julian Alaphilippe is relaxed before the start of Tirreno-Adriatico(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Geraint Thomas speaks to reporters at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Geraint Thomas answers questions at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Bahrain-Merida's Vincenzo Nibali at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
The Tirreno-Adriatico "Race of the Two Seas" trident(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Primoz Roglic on the eve of Tirreno-Adriatico(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tom Dumoulin at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Geraint Thomas on the eve of Tirreno-Adriatico(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Julian Alaphilippe at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vincenzo Nibali at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vincenzo Nibali framed on a reporter's phone(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Primoz Roglic at the Tirreno-Adriatico press conference(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic(Image credit: Tim de Waele/Getty Images)
Tirreno-Adriatico rolls off the starting blocks on Wednesday with a 21.5km team time trial in Lido di Camaiore, and some of the top riders gathered on Tuesday to talk about their own ambitions in the seven-day WorldTour race that finishes on March 19 with an individual time trial in San Benedetto del Tronto.
The favourites for the overall, including Geraint Thomas (Team Sky), Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Jumbo-Visma's Primoz Roglic, Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) and recent Strade Bianche winner Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), gathered on Tuesday to speak with the media and give the race a proper set-up. Defending champion Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) is currently battling the crosswinds at Paris-Nice, leaving the race open for a brand-new winner or a potential third victory for Nibali.
The race lacks any true mountains this year, eschewing summit finishes in favour of a number of short, steep Classics-like climbs that will measure gradients in double digits.
Stage 1 will set the general classification pecking order, and in a race that could be won by seconds, the team time trial could be decisive. Stages 3 and 6 should keep the sprinters happy, while stages 4 and 5 are littered with leg-busting bergs – or muri – and will likely decide the race. The race wraps up with a 10.1km individual time trial.
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