What number of Warren Barguil ! The Frenchman, present in the initial breakaway, won alone during the 5th stage of Tirreno-Adriatico following having climbed the many “walls” distributed throughout the 155 kilometers of race between Sefro et Fermo. The rider from the Arkéa-Samsic team, who was taking part for the first time in his career in the Race of the two seas, beat the Belgian Xandro Meurisse and the Italian Simone Velasco.
This 5th step, known as The Walls Stage, is dedicated to adventurers and opportunists. Already last year, Mads Wurtz Schmidt had won in front of his breakaway companions in Fermo.
It was nevertheless necessary to wait 50 km of racing to see a group of 12 riders extricate themselves from the peloton. At 40 kilometers from the finish, the fugitives are 4 minutes ahead of the peloton led by the UAE Team Emirates formation.
20 kilometers from Fermo, the Frenchman Warren Barguil went on the attack in the breakaway but was quickly caught. Remco Evenepoelwell in place within the peloton, tried his luck and attacked in turn while the peloton was 1 min 13 behind the fugitives. Tadej Pogacarleader before this 5th stage, and Jonas Vingegaardare the only ones able to follow the Belgian.
And while Evenepoel continues his efforts and slowly but surely approaches the breakaway, Remco misses a downhill turn and goes straight… just like Pogacar and Vingegaard. In the absence of a flagman, the three riders followed the car placed in front of them and took the wrong road.
Be that as it may, Evenepoel and his two pursuers have no choice but to turn around and set off once more with the peloton.
At the front of the race, Barguil presses the accelerator once more and takes off at the foot of the final climb (1.1km at 9.6%). No runaway manages to catch him this time. The Frenchman from Arkéa-Samsic thus offers himself his first success of the season. Despite the signaling problem in the final, Evenepoel keeps his second place in the general classification and remains 9 seconds behind Pogacar.
