Lido de Camaiore on the Tuscan coast has set the stage for a team time trial in recent years, this year the organization changed course and opted for a sprinter stage with start and finish in the seaside resort.
7 riders were ahead of the peloton for a while. The German Paul Martens (Jumbo-Visma) and the Swiss Simon Pellaud (Androni Giocattoli) stayed ahead for the longest, in the last lap they had to give up.
In the bunch sprint Gaviria seemed a class too strong, but that was calculated without Ackermann. The fast German headed as John the Fearless and passed everyone along the boarding.
Not without risk, but it did give Ackermann the stage victory and the blue leader’s jersey.
“Finally I win once, because in the past few weeks I was struggling with my timing, so I got stuck in places of honor”, he responded. “Admittedly, the hole was small, but I managed.”
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Tim Merlier could not compete for the overall victory. The Belgian champion crashed in the final kilometers.
Mathieu van der Poel took Merlier in tow, but when the latter touched the wheel of a Quick-Step rider, he fell to the ground.
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