Valgren completes comeback with Tirreno stage win as Van der Poel cracks late in GC showdown
CyclingFriday, 13 March 2026 at 16:07
Michael Valgren sealed the first of two “climber's stages” in Tirreno-Adriatico with a victory on Friday. The 34-year-old Dane from EF Education-EasyPost, who has made a comeback in recent years after a devastating crash in 2022, had incredible legs from the early breakaway and stayed ahead of the general classification favorites. Isaac del Toro dropped leader Giulio Pellizzari from his wheel and is back in the blue jersey.
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Tirreno-Adriatico was a feast for explosive riders in the first four days. Following the short opening time trial in Lido di Camaiore, the Race Between the Two Seas featured stages suited for strong sprinters and punchers, which Mathieu van der Poel took full advantage of.
The Dutchman won on both days two and four, so halfway through the race he could already call it a successful edition, before RCS took things to a higher level. On day five, a stage from Marotta-Mondolfo to Mombaroccio was on the schedule, featuring 3,800 meters of climbing. Too tough for Van der Poel?
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Van der Poel goes early — but misses the break
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The first attacker of the day was… Mathieu van der Poel. Wearing his purple points jersey, the Alpecin–Premier Tech rider launched from the back near the team cars and immediately lit up the fight for the breakaway. Several teams, however, were not interested in giving him any freedom, and his move did not last long.
A group of eight riders did get the green light: Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor), Sjoerd Bax (Pinarello–Q36.5), Edward Planckaert and Emiel Verstrynge (Alpecin–Premier Tech), Joan Bou (Caja Rural), Michael Valgren (EF Education–EasyPost), Jack Haig (INEOS Grenadiers) and Georg Zimmermann (Lotto–Intermarché).
With Pellizzari having taken the leader’s jersey the previous day, Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe took responsibility in the peloton, controlling the gap as the race went over the day’s hardest climb, Monte delle Cesena (7.2 km at 7%). The break crested with roughly 4:30 in hand.
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Alaphilippe briefly virtual leader after Cesena
The Cesena climb was the toughest ascent of this Tirreno so far, but the break worked smoothly and stayed organised. Bou took the KOM points and moved himself right into the fight for the mountains jersey.
Over the top, the advantage remained around 4.5 minutes, enough for Alaphilippe to briefly become the virtual race leader. The Frenchman also picked up bonus seconds at the intermediate sprint in Saltara—though with 60 kilometres still to race, the stage win was the real target.
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Valgren and Alaphilippe left alone as UAE and Bahrain raise the temperature
After the intermediate sprint, the break headed towards Monte della Mattera, where the finish line would be crossed for the first time after the summit. Visma | Lease a Bike lifted the pace in the peloton, shedding riders including Paul Magnier. Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin–Premier Tech) also had to let go—after a puncture.
Then UAE Team Emirates–XRG took over for del Toro, cutting both the gap and the breakaway itself. Bax punctured and dropped out. In the peloton, Wout van Aert could not follow the pressure, while Van der Poel dug in and initially managed to hold on.
On the local circuit—ridden twice—the key climb was Santuario Beato Sante (4.2 km at 6.2%). Bahrain Victorious set a hard tempo for Antonio Tiberi and Santiago Buitrago, and up front Valgren attacked so strongly that only Alaphilippe could follow. The pair still had about two minutes on the peloton.
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Van der Poel cracks on the final climb
Heading into the last lap the lead began to shrink, but Valgren and Alaphilippe still had a real chance. In the peloton, domestiques burned through themselves one by one, with Tiberi—somewhat surprisingly—ending up as one of the victims of the sustained pace. Meanwhile, Verstrynge, Haig and Zimmermann were caught between, chasing from the earlier break but already well adrift of the leaders.
With 7 kilometres to go and the final ascent of Santuario Beato Sante approaching, the peloton was down to a little over a minute behind the leading duo. Attacks from Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X) and Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers) were brought back—and at the foot of the last climb, Van der Poel finally had to let go.
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GC favourites vs Valgren — and the Dane holds on
Valgren knew it was on a knife-edge, but he also had the legs: he rode away from Alaphilippe and committed fully to the final climb. Behind, the GC men opened up their own battle immediately. Del Toro set the pace hard enough to isolate race leader Pellizzari, who had to dig deep while being guided by Primož Roglič. Arensman was dropped early in the fight.
Del Toro’s tempo formed an elite group featuring Jorgenson, Buitrago, Pellizzari, Roglič, Johannessen and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek). But with riders watching each other rather than riding a steady chase, Valgren still had around 45 seconds with 1.5 kilometres of climbing left. EF team-mate Richard Carapaz even tried to bridge across alone when the pace stalled.
The favourites forced del Toro to keep working, but the UAE rider rode more in surges than at a constant tempo. With 600 metres to the top he accelerated again—twice—and only Jorgenson could follow. They came agonisingly close: on the summit, Valgren’s advantage was down to about 12 seconds.
From there it was roughly a kilometre to the line: Valgren vs del Toro and Jorgenson. The Dane held firm and took a landmark win—his first since 2021, and his first since returning from that devastating 2022 crash. Del Toro finished second and, crucially, did enough to take back the overall lead from Pellizzari, who conceded around half a minute.
Results stage 5 Tirreno-Adriatico 2026
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Latest Comments
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