Tirreno-Adriatico 2014 - Stage 2
The 49th Tirreno-Adriatico continued with its second stage on the 13th March, where it hit the open roads after the opening team time trial. The second stage was a relatively short, relatively flat 166 kilometre stage from San Vincenzo to Cascina. As long as Mark Cavendish could finish with the peloton, he should be able to keep the blue jersey of race leader.
The stage was expected to be contested by the crop of the WorldTour sprinters, with Cavendish being joined by the likes of Marcel Kittel, Andre Greipel and Peter Sagan, but a breakaway went away anyway. Brit Alex Dowsett was present, representing Movistar Team, and he was joined by Daniel Teklehaimanot (MTN-Qhubeka), Marco Canola (Bardiani-CSF), David De La Cruz (NetApp-Endura) and Davide Malacarne (Europcar).
The break were working well together, building up their lead to four and a half minutes, and successfully reaching the finishing circuit. Alex Dowsett, after winning the first intermediate sprint, went off alone, and proceeded to spend the rest of the stage ahead of his breakaway companions. Omega Pharma-Quickstep, Giant-Shimano and then Lotto-Belisol were all working hard chasing.
Riders began to battle for position in the peloton, causing a crash. A number of Lotto-Belisol riders fell, giving the now lone Dowsett hope that he might stay away. However, the peloton regrouped and were soon insight of the British time trial champion. Another crash marred the peloton in the closing stages, bringing down stage favourite Marcel Kittel, who collapsed into a heap on the floor.
Omega Pharma-Quickstep found themselves boxed in, and it was Andre Greipel and Arnaud Demare who found themselves in strong positions going into the finale. However, it was relative underdog Matteo Pelucchi of IAM Cycling who surprised the duo into winning the first Tirreno-Adriatico stage of his career. Demare took second, and Greipel finished a disappointing third. Despite Cavendish finishing seventeenth on the stage he managed to stay in the blue leader's jersey.