Tirreno-Adriatico stage 5 LIVE – War of attrition on the Marche ‘Muri’

Valgren and Alaphilippe go clear with the rest struggling to close the gap.

2026-03-13T14:00:46.964Z

Onto the first of two ascents of the Santuario Beato Sante climb which is 4.3km at 6.2%.

2026-03-13T13:59:27.273Z

Alaphilippe is making an acceleration with everyone just about able to follow as Zimmermann is yoyoing off the back.

2026-03-13T13:58:28.567Z

Zimmermann and Planckaert are dropped from the break with the former riding himself into the ground for teammate, Verstrynge.

2026-03-13T13:56:27.312Z

Bahrain Victorious are hammering the pace in the peloton with Pello Bilbao on the front now that Tiberi leads the way.

Two and a half minutes split the break and the peloton.

2026-03-13T13:50:48.418Z

Tiberi and Vendrame do rescue their race for now. They seemed to be caught out by poor positioning rather than lacking the form.

2026-03-13T13:50:06.311Z

Tiberi and Vendrame are trying to sprint across the gap to get back onto the peloton. Lapeira is out of the back for Decathlon-CMA CGM.

2026-03-13T13:48:34.688Z

There is about 35 riders left in the peloton with riders scrambling to get back on including Andrea Vendrame (Jayco-AlUla), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ United).

2026-03-13T13:46:57.256Z

Just two minutes and 27 seconds between the peloton and the break.

2026-03-13T13:45:02.415Z

UAE Team Emirates-XRG led by Benoit Cosnefroy is absolutely destroying the peloton on this uncategorised climb. The peloton is in bits.

A Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe rider goes down and caused the split in the bunch that is now stitched back together again. May have been Tratnik that went down.

2026-03-13T13:37:42.549Z

The peloton has been decimated on the last climb with only about 20 riders present.

2026-03-13T13:36:22.159Z

Bax lost touch due to a puncture! Bou rides passed him and gets a bike change. He is now behind the Spaniard and is unlikely to see the front of the race again.

2026-03-13T13:35:15.461Z

Just under three minutes back to the peloton led by Visma-Lease a Bike.

2026-03-13T13:34:50.993Z

They go through what will be the final kilometre and cross the finish line for the first of three times on a very technical descent then a bit of a kick to the line in the final few hundred metres. Bax lost touch on the descent and is struggling to get back on.

1. Plackaerts 5pts
2. Verstrynge 3pts
3. Haig 2pts
4. Alaphilippe 1pt

Bou tried his very best to get back but wasn’t able to do so.

2026-03-13T13:27:46.531Z

Bou has been dropped by the break and now Bax is starting to struggle under the pace of Alaphilippe.

2026-03-13T13:25:00.115Z

NSN are very present at the front of the bunch just around the UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Their GC man, Alessandro Pinarello, has been having a superb race so far in 11th place at 51 seconds.

2026-03-13T13:21:41.701Z

Filippo Ganna dropped by the peloton.

2026-03-13T13:21:24.113Z

Mechanical for Anders Foldager (Jayco-AlUla). Looks like his chain jammed when trying to change cog.

2026-03-13T13:20:34.306Z

Rear puncture for Tibor Del Grosso (Alpecin-Premier Tech).

UAE Team Emirates-XRG take control of the peloton now.

2026-03-13T13:19:13.495Z

Bou, who will be desperate to get points on this climb, is struggling to hold onto the wheel of Alaphilippe at the back of the break. His shoulders are rocking a bit now.

2026-03-13T13:18:16.042Z

The race is now on the Monte della Mattera, 6.5km long with an average gradient of 5% with 5, 3, 2 and 1 points available in the KOM classification. After this the riders cross the finish line for the first time and enter the circuit.

2026-03-13T13:15:32.594Z

The gap is beginning to come down thanks to the new impetus by Visma-Lease a Bike, UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Bahrain Victorious, but not by much. Three minutes and 43 seconds split the break and the peloton.

2026-03-13T13:14:39.797Z

The leading group of eight riders are working really well together with Alaphilippe leading the charge…

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T13:11:09.421Z

Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) just loses touch with the back of the peloton.

2026-03-13T13:08:16.270Z

The mountains jersey, Sevilla, has been dropped by the peloton.

2026-03-13T13:07:46.467Z

Alaphilippe is the best placed rider in the breakaway at just one minute and 20 seconds with a three second bonus at the intermediate sprint as well.

2026-03-13T13:07:04.108Z

Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates-XRG now take over the front of the peloton and the pace rockets with Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe getting swamped.

2026-03-13T13:05:43.325Z

They’re now climbing up to the Santuario San Pietro e Paolo.

The breakaway are pushing hard and are holding a gap of four and a half minutes on the peloton.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T12:59:53.946Z

The riders will soon be on the uncategorised Santuario San Pietro e Paolo. 2.4km with an average gradient of 6.5%.

2026-03-13T12:57:35.332Z

Van Poppel has gone from driving the peloton to now struggling to hold on to the back of it just a few kilometres later.

1. Alaphilippe 5pts 3″
2. Plackaert 3pts 2″
3. Valgren 2pts 1″
4. Bax 1pt

2026-03-13T12:50:34.159Z

2.5km to the intermediate sprint in Saltara.

Four minutes and 37 seconds between the break and the Danny van Poppel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) led peloton.

2026-03-13T12:48:51.507Z

The intermediate sprint in Saltara coming very soon.

2026-03-13T12:39:06.930Z

Despite reports, Tratnik is very much still in the race and sits on the front.

2026-03-13T12:38:13.884Z

It is tight, twisty and undulating roads for the peloton today.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T12:26:20.790Z

Bou is now on 21 points in the KOM standings, just 12 points behind Sevilla now with 15 points still available. Realistically, five point, maybe 10.

2026-03-13T12:25:05.723Z

UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike are lined up alongside Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe on the front of the peloton as they prepare for the descent for the Monte delle Cesane.

The break has four and a half minutes on the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe led peloton.

2026-03-13T12:23:28.824Z

Just a quick correction as we see that Verstrynge is actually in the breakaway. He made the bridge which Hayter and Marcellusi couldn’t.

1. Bou 15pts
2. Haig 10pts
3. Verstrynge 7pts
4. Valgren 5pts
5. Bax 3pts
6. Alaphilippe 2pts
7. Planckaert 1pt

2026-03-13T12:17:57.967Z

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe lead the peloton ahead of Visma-Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates-XRG.

2026-03-13T12:17:34.382Z

1km from the top of the Monte delle Cesane.

2026-03-13T12:17:23.817Z

Puncture for Jenno Berckmoes (Lotto-Intermarche)

2026-03-13T12:15:07.555Z

Another DNS this morning…

Xandro Meurisse (Pinarello-Q36.5)

2026-03-13T12:14:38.473Z

Marcellusi has finally given in and is caught by the peloton.

2026-03-13T12:05:30.057Z

Marcellusi now two and a half minutes behind the leaders.

2026-03-13T12:05:04.732Z

It seems that the climb has completely shot the legs of Marcellusi as his gap to the leaders is growing and he appears to be slowly heading back to the peloton again.

2026-03-13T12:03:56.196Z

Hayter has been caught by the peloton at the base of the climb.

2026-03-13T12:01:49.464Z

On the Monte delle Cesane climb and the break have added another minute onto the peloton with over five minutes splitting them.

Hayter is about to be caught by the peloton who are over four minutes down on the lead group. Marcellusi is still in the gap and is closing in again at about half a minute down.

2026-03-13T11:50:30.250Z

We’re not too far away from the all category climb of the Monte delle Cesane, almost 8km of climbing with an average gradient of around 7%.

2026-03-13T11:45:06.658Z

The peloton are now over four minutes down on the breakaway.

2026-03-13T11:39:41.189Z

Either way, Marcellusi and his Bardiani CSF-7 Saber team won’t give up in trying to make it across.

2026-03-13T11:39:07.397Z

Marcellusi appears to have dropped Hayter. Either the Italian has dropped the former British road race champion or Hayter has decided that this isn’t going to work and he’s dropping back to the buch.

2026-03-13T11:35:26.619Z

Only one rider in the breakaway today has already got points in the KOM standings, Joan Bou. He took second place on the only climb on stage 1 and has six points to show for it. There is a maximum of 30 points on offer today. The first climb holds half of those with 15 points up for grabs for the first rider across the line. He will need a great day to challenge Diego Pablo Sevilla’s 33 points.

Hayter and Marcellusi are now almost a minute down on the seven leaders. This looks doomed for them.

2026-03-13T11:23:28.949Z

The gap to Hayter and Marcellusi goes back out to 40″ as it appears they won’t be making it across. The peloton are now almost four minutes behind the break.

2026-03-13T11:16:11.431Z

Emiel Verstrynge has been dropped by the chase group and is said to already be back in the peloton.

2026-03-13T11:11:20.740Z

The chase group have suddenly been given a new time gap of 18 seconds.

2026-03-13T11:10:19.066Z

Puncture for Paul Lapeira (Decathlon-CMA CGM)

The peloton has let the gap grow to over three minutes but the chasing trio are still over 30 seconds behind the leaders.

2026-03-13T11:05:25.825Z

The chasing trio appear to be fading as their gap grows to 36 seconds from the leaders.

2026-03-13T11:01:45.844Z

The gap hasn’t really moved for quite some time with the chase group also just stuck a few seconds off the back of the leaders as well.

2026-03-13T10:56:57.127Z

The gap to the lead group is at one minute and 42 seconds and growing.

This looks to be the break of the day with 10 riders getting away after a long battle that lasted over 45km and one hour of racing.

2026-03-13T10:54:20.474Z

The first group joins the leaders to make a group of seven as Verstrynge joins Hayter and Marcellusi in the chase 16 seconds behind the leaders.

New groups are forming behind the leading four riders.

Group one:

Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost)}
Georg Zimmermann (Lotto-Intermarche)
Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor)

Group two:

Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF-7 Saber)
Ethan Hayter (Soudal-QuickStep)

and on his own:

Emiel Verstrygne (Alpecin-Premier Tech)

2026-03-13T10:47:34.656Z

Flynn is, indeed, caught by the peloton led by Bardiani CSF-7 Saber.

2026-03-13T10:47:09.891Z

Mechanical for Flynn in the break! That may be his chance to get away gone.

2026-03-13T10:45:46.322Z

One move that was completely missed was this brutal attack by Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Edward Planckaert (Alpecin-Premier Tech)
Joan Bou (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA)
Jack Haig (Ineos Grenadiers)
Sjoerd Bax (Pinarello-Q36.5)
Sean Flynn (Picnic-PostNL)

Hostilities resume with a new move. This could well be the break of the day.

2026-03-13T10:39:38.552Z

The brief hiatus turns into a longer pause in hostilities. Maybe riders are just catching their breath. Then again, they’ve been on a descent for a few kilometres and may resume attacks once on the flat and uphill again.

A brief hiatus in the bunch after a plethora of attacks.

2026-03-13T10:31:38.264Z

The average speed so far sits at just under 49kph. It has been a rapid start.

2026-03-13T10:29:06.669Z

In all of this chaos there was a moment where Remy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ United) tried to get away. He sits second in the KOM standings and with Diego Pablo Sevilla (Polti-Visit Malta) emptying himself yesterday, today could be a good day for the Frenchman to take points on his rival.

2026-03-13T10:27:54.346Z

The split is stitched back together yet again. What a chaotic start!

2026-03-13T10:26:27.039Z

Split in the peloton! There are around 20 riders off the front including points leader, van der Poel.

Mathieu Van der Poel

He goes again! Not satisfied with waiting for the race to come to him, he wants this to explode early. He is being very heavily marked, though.

2026-03-13T10:22:19.521Z

The attackers are caught once again.

Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor)
Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)

There aren’t too many bigger names in the peloton at this race to launch a move. Former multiple world champion, Alaphilippe, is only one minute and 20 seconds own in GC whereas Milan is looking for more kilometres in the legs after a disappointing sprint performance on stage 3.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T10:18:44.077Z

Champoussin has been brought back, more likely he sat up.

Tudor are leading the peloton as they don’t want to miss out on the day’s break.

2026-03-13T10:17:24.690Z

It is a very hill stage today with 3900 metres of elevation gain.

Clement Champoussin (XDS-Astana)

The Frenchman is the best placed in GC of his team sitting in 16th place at one minute and 15 seconds.

2026-03-13T10:13:13.557Z

Almost all of the GC riders are said to be in the front group. As more riders try attacks.

2026-03-13T10:12:42.211Z

Van der Poel caught but it appears the pace in the peloton is causing splits.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech)

Two time stage winner at this year’s race and points jersey wearer, Van der Poel, launches very early!

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T10:07:09.860Z

Multiple attacks coming out of the peloton after a steady first 10 minutes.

2026-03-13T10:02:49.366Z

Another abandon to announce it of Slovenian super-domestique, Jan Tratnik (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe). A big blow for Pellizzari and Roglič.

The race begins on stage 5 of Tirreno-Adriatico 2026!

2026-03-13T09:53:06.945Z

It’s a sunny start for the riders with 8.5km of neutral this morning.

2026-03-13T09:50:21.874Z

Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe are having a superb race. They sit in first place on GC with Pellizzari but also have former champion, Primož Roglič, in third at just 21 seconds down. They have cards to play and even have Jai Hindley at one minute and 45 seconds to go long range.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

2026-03-13T09:42:00.228Z

The riders have started the neutralised zone.

2026-03-13T09:38:54.403Z

One abandon to tell you about is that Soudal-QuickStep’s GC man, Ilan Van Wilder, will not start today due to an illness.

2026-03-13T09:32:49.677Z

It was an incredibly comanding performance by Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) yesterday to take his second stage win of the week…