Ben Healy put in a brilliant bid for stage victory in Italy but was mowed down by the battled between the men in the general classification podium positions (Photo: David Harrington)
Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) put in a big attack on the final climb at Tirreno-Adriatico in a bid to win stage 5 into Camerino after almost 200km of racing. And though his effort came up short, as he was mowed down by the general classification battle, the Irishman rode an impressive final.
On the last climb, some 3km averaging almost nine per cent, Healy took it up very early from the general classification group, immediately catching and passing solo attacker Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike).
Though the GC riders began attacking each other behind the Irishman, Healy kept pounding away and looked like he had a great chance of taking the stage win.
However, the increasingly impressive Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) attacked from the chasing group just inside 1km to go. The Italian managed what the others could not; clawing his way over to Healy and riding clear of him.
As Pellizzari and Healy settled into 1st and 2nd positions on the road, just seconds apart, the brutal final climb to the line continued. And behind them, it was race leader Isaac del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) who took it up.
What Torito wants, Torito gets.
And today, he wanted the win 🏆
Follow #TirrenoAdriatico @CA_Ita on Rai (🇮🇹) and on Eurosport (🌐) pic.twitter.com/XLojeIPxQX
— Tirreno Adriatico (@TirrenAdriatico) March 14, 2026
Pellizzari had started the day in 2nd place overall, just 23 seconds down on del Toro. The Mexican race leader could not afford to let the Italian ride away to a stage win, with a time gain and time bonus on the line.
Del Toro, with Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike) and a couple of others on his wheel, first picked off Healy, then Pellizzari. And as soon as the catch was made, del Toro went again, with 600m to go.
When Jorgenson then took it up with an attack of his own, with 500m to go, that forced a split in the six-man front group.
Jorgenson surged clear with del Toro on his wheel, as that duo rode away from everyone. As they got closer to the line, del Toro dropped Jorgenson as Norway’s Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) was fighting hard just behind.
On the line, del Toro claimed a solo victory, with Johannessen coming through for 2nd, at three seconds, and Jorgenson 3rd on the same time.
Pellizzari, who wiped out Healy’s chance of a stage win, had gone too early on the climb and he faded a little to 4th, at nine seconds. Then came Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious), 5th and 6th at 11 seconds. Healy claimed 7th at 21 seconds.
The result means del Toro extends his lead over Pellizzari to 42 seconds, with Jorgenson now just one second further back in 3rd. Healy remains 8th overall, now at 1:55.