Race organizer RCS Sport had chosen a 205-kilometer route from Ascoli Piceno to Pergola for stage 5 of the 2025 edition of the legendary Tirreno-Adriatico race. The stage would be contested solely in the Marche region of Italy.

Stage 5 would be contested in hilly terrain and would include three categorized climbs in the second half of the stage. While not being very exhausting and challenging climbs compared to those of the Giro d’Italia or the Tour de France, the organizers were expecting the stage to have an influence on the general classification. The stage should also offer opportunities for breakaway experts. The riders would be forced to test their legs on the Monte Santa Croce and Monte della Serra climbs in quick succession. 

The riders left the start village under sunny skies, though the racing conditions were still marked by the somewhat cool weather of the Springtime. A bit of brisk racing would surely warm up their bodies and prepare them for some exciting action near the Italian East coast. 

Johan Price-Pejtersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Rui Costa (EF Education-EasyPost), and Wout Poels abandoned the race early during the stage.

Seven riders formed the early breakaway group of the day. The riders were Gal Glivar (Soudal-QuickStep), Xandro Meurisse (Soudal-QuickStep), Paul Ourselin (Cofidis Team), Dries de Bondt (Decathlon-AG2R), Francisco Munoz (Team Polti-VisitMalta), Fredrik Dversnes (Uno-X Mobility), and Manuele Tarozzi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizane). The group fought its way to a lead of more than five minutes after eighty kilometers of riding.

While Bahrain Victorious set a fast pace in the main peloton, Munoz had been dropped from the breakaway group when seventy kilometers remained. 

Eddie Dunbar (Jayco-Alula) and Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) crashed in the main peloton approximately 35 kilometers from the finish line, while Xandro Meurisse had been dropped from the breakaway group and was caught from the peloton. Irishman Dunbar was later forced to abandon the race.

Riders from Bahrain Victorious, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and EF Education-EasyPost were pulling at the front of the main peloton 

The peloton was stretched out when it hit the penultimate categorized climb of the day with 28 kilometers remaining.

Chris Hamilton (Team Picnic-PostNL) attacked from the main peloton on the Salita Barbanti climb and Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-AG2R-La Mondiale) joined the fun.

Bahrain Victorious riders were still leading the peloton, while being closely monitored by riders from Ineos-Grenadiers in support of their general classification leader Filippo Ganna.

When fifteen kilometers remained, the remaining five men in the front attack group were still in front. Hamilton and Prodhomme were chasing 01:25 minutes behind, with the main peloton twenty seconds further back. Hamilton was caught shortly thereafter.

Esteban Chavez (EF Education-EasyPost) attacked from the main peloton when 11.5 kilometers remained. It did not take him long to catch Prodhomme, but the peloton was chasing shortly behind them. UAE Team Emirates riders were setting the pace in the peloton.

Nairo Quintana tried his luck for Movistar Team shortly later. The Monterolo climb was also causing suffering for the riders in the front breakaway group. The front group got split up and Dversnes pressed on at the front in solo fashion, hoping to take a stage victory for Uno-X Mobility. Tarozzi was four seconds behind, De Bondt sixteen.

UAE Team Emirates, however, showed no mercy and reeled in the now-disillusioned breakaway optimists. Only Dversnes remained in front. Meanwhile, Ben Healy was dropped from the main peloton group. The Irishman from EF Education-EasyPost was not having his best day on his Cannondale bike. Eight kilometers remained.

The peloton was closing in on the frontman and possibly setting up for a mass sprint across the finish line. Mattia Cattaneo counterattacked from the peloton. He was caught. Other riders tried their luck.

The peloton proved unable to catch Fredrik Dversnes. The Norwegian riders was the first man to cross the finish line after having been in a breakaway for most of the stage. Incredible stamina from the 27-year-old rider. 

Mathieu van der Poel finished second for Alpecin-Deceuninck, while Roger Adria (Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) finished third in today’s stage 5.

Filippo Ganna remains general classification leader for Ineos-Grenadiers. The Italian rider is 22 seconds ahead of Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates), while Antonio Tiberi is third in the GC for Bahrain Victorious. Derek Gee is fourth.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for further coverage from Tirreno-Adriatico 2025.