Tirreno Adriatico: Cancellara wins finale, Nibali the Overall

A master of the Time Trial, Fabian Cancellara won the finale of the 2012 Tirreno Adriatico while Vincenzo Nibali denied Chris Horner the overall victory

| STAGE 1 REPORT | STAGE 2 REPORT (Cavs Win) | Stage 3 Report | Stage 4 Report |
| Stage 5 Report | Stage 6 Report |

Radioshack-Nissan-Trek rider Fabian Cancellara was the master in the final time trial in the WorldTour stage race finale, Tirreno Adriatico. His victory was the second one for the team in 2012. While Cancellara celebrated, there was dissapointment for his teammate Chris Horner who lost in his battle with Vincenzo Nibali for the overall.

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“It was a tough one,” said Fabian Cancellara (above), “especially when I had in mind my best time from last year. But the conditions today were totally different. Today we had a tailwind to go out but a full headwind to come back. I see that I did three seconds slower than last year’s ride but I still think I did a great ride. Today was important for me to test my position, to get in another ride on the bike, and I wanted to provide good split times for Chris to compare. I didn’t feel under pressure to win this. I know where my form is now after 30 hours on the bike and I have a lot of confidence.”

Cancellara’s Radioshack-Nissan-Trek teammate Daniele Bennati challenged him for the victory, with the second best time at 10:48, a time that held up to the finish, making for a one-two Radioshack finish on the final stage in San Benedetto Del Tronto. Third place on the stage went to young Aussie Cameron Meyer of GreenEdge.

“I have no mixed feelings about this,” said a happy Chris Horner after the stage. “It’s been a fantastic week. The team did a great TTT to set me up to take the jersey and I defended it for a few days. Tactically, I think we did a brilliant race. This is not a course that is ideal for me, but to stay on the podium is good for me. I was concerned that I might not stay in the top three. The only feeling I have about this is one of feeling great – great about the way the team worked this week and great about the way my legs feel.”

“After what happened in the Tour last year and to be out of racing for so long, for me there was always a little bit of doubt how I would feel to come back. I held the jersey for three days. I’m coming out of this very satisfied. My form is fantastic and I look forward to the next stage races.” Chris suffered a horrific race ending/season ending crash in last summer’s Tour de France, keeping him off the bike until his comeback in Italy.

For British fans, Ian Stannard’s 7th was no surprise as the former Team Keyne rider has shown over and over he can time trial and today was no exception. The Sky rider was one of an elite band of riders to go under the 11-minute mark on the 9.3-kilometre course, his time of 10 minutes and 54 seconds holding up well during the afternoon to safely secure him a top-10 placing.

Team Sky’s DS, Servais Knaven was full of praise for Stannard. “It was a really good time trial from Ian. He was up for it and really motivated to go full gas. He did a great time and finished seventh, but only two seconds behind third place. It was all pretty close. He didn’t lose much time on the way back where there was a headwind. He was really strong there and I think second fastest out of everyone there. He lost 10 seconds in the first half to Cancellara and then eight seconds on the way back.

“I think he is in good form and he’s riding better than ever before. So that makes him better in every aspect, whether it be on the flat, uphill or in the time trial. He’s getting better everywhere which is a good sign and we saw this in Oman and in Belgium.”

Result
1 Fabian Cancellara RadioShack – Nissan 00:10:36
2 Daniele Bennati RadioShack – Nissan 00:12
3 Cameron Meyer GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:16
4 Svein Tuft GreenEdge Cycling Team @ same time
5 Manuele Boaro Team Saxo Bank @ same time
6 Hayden Roulston RadioShack – Nissan 00:17
7 Ian Stannard Sky Procycling 00:18
8 Peter Velits Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:20
9 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale @ same time
10 Marco Pinotti BMC Racing Team 00:21
11 Peter Sagan Liquigas – Cannondale 00:23
12 Maarten Tjallingii Rabobank Cycling Team @ same time
13 Gert Steegmans Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:24
14 Mads Christensen Team Saxo Bank @ same time
15 Stefano Garzelli Acqua & Sapone @ same time
16 Adriano Malori Lampre – ISD 00:25
17 Kristjan Koren Liquigas – Cannondale 00:26
18 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova Movistar Team @ same time
19 David Millar Team Garmin – Barracuda 00:27
20 Wout Poels Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team @ same time
21 Alex Rasmussen Team Garmin – Barracuda 00:29
22 Stijn Devolder Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:30
23 Bert Grabsch Omega Pharma – Quickstep 00:31
24 Jens Mouris GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:32
25 Nicki Sørensen Team Saxo Bank @ same time
26 Stuart O’ Grady GreenEdge Cycling Team 00:33
27 Andrew Talansky Team Garmin – Barracuda 00:34
28 Rinaldo Nocentini Ag2R – La Mondiale @ same time
29 Marco Coledan Colnago CSF Bardiani 00:35
30 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa Movistar Team 00:36
31 Alessandro Ballan BMC Racing Team @ same time
32 Johnny Hoogerland Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:38
33 Vladimir Gusev Katusha Team 00:40
34 Chris Horner RadioShack – Nissan @ same time
35 Cadel Evans BMC Racing Team 00:44
36 Manuel Quinziato BMC Racing Team 00:45
37 Domenico Pozzovivo Colnago CSF Bardiani @ same time
38 Michele Scarponi Lampre – ISD @ same time
39 Roman Kreuziger Astana Pro Team 00:47
40 Sergio Miguel Moreira Paulinho Team Saxo Bank 00:49
41 Steven Kruijswijk Rabobank Cycling Team 00:54
42 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver Katusha Team 00:52
43 Giovanni Visconti Movistar Team 00:54
44 Danilo Di Luca Acqua & Sapone 00:55
45 Pim Ligthart Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 00:57
46 Daniel Moreno Fernandéz Katusha Team 01:01
47 Kristof Goddaert Ag2R – La Mondiale 01:05
48 Jurgen Van De Walle Lotto – Belisol Team 01:12
49 Johan Vansummeren Team Garmin – Barracuda 01:13
50 Gert Dockx Lotto – Belisol Team 01:26

OVERALL
1 Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas – Cannondale 29:38:08
2 Chris Horner RadioShack – Nissan 0:14
3 Roman Kreuziger Astana Pro Team 0:26
4 Rinaldo Nocentini AG2R – La Mondiale 0:53
5 Johnny Hoogerland Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:00
6 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver Team Katusha 1:16
7 Michele Scarponi Lampre – ISD @ same time
8 Wout Poels Vacansoleil – DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:25
9 Christophe Riblon AG2R – La Mondiale 1:31
10 Cameron Meyer Green Edge Cycling Team 1:33

 

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