Ireland's Bennett second in final sprint stage as Ayuso seals Tirreno-Adriatico
by AFP · The42IRELAND’S SAM BENNETT just missed out on winning the seventh and final stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Sunday, finishing a close second in a bunch sprint.
Ben Healy ended the week 24th in the general classification standings, as Juan Ayuso sealed his victory after cruising home in the final procession stage won by Jonathan Milan.
Italian Milan won his second stage of the week-long race to claim the points jersey after pipping Bennett, who only just failed in his bid to catch the local hero on the line.
The Lidl-Trek rider triumphed in a nervy ending in San Benedetto del Tronto on Italy’s Adriatic coast in which Soudal Quick-Step’s Paul Magnier crashed and took out a clutch of other riders.
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“I’m really happy to get the second win, it was a big goal for me and the team,” said Milan, who had a hard fall on Wednesday, to broadcaster RAI.
“In the end I managed to recover as best I could. My side still hurts a bit but it’s all good.”
Team UAE’s Ayuso rolled in with the peloton to claim the second stage race triumph of his career, his first coming in the Tour of the Basque country in 2024.
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The 22-year-old has also won one-day races Trofeo Laigueglia and the Drome Classic in an impressive start to 2025.
Ayuso, who came second behind Jonas Vingegaard in last year’s “Race of Two Seas”, did the hard work on Saturday by winning the Queen Stage, a punishing summit finish to Frontignano.
Ayuso could lead UAE’s bid to retain the Giro d’Italia in May, a year after the team’s major star Tadej Pogacar romped to the title.
“I want to perform and I want to be the best rider I can possibly be. Also in this team, every chance you get you really have to make it worth it,” Ayuso told reporters.
“We’re the best team and we have so many riders that can try and hope for the win. When Tadej is there, you know, he’s the best rider in the world. So you have to race for him.”
He ended the week 35 seconds ahead of Filippo Ganna who was tipped by Milan as the favourite for Milan San-Remo, which kicks the Spring season fully into gear next weekend.
Ineos rider Ganna, a two-time time-trial world champion and a track cycling specialist, led the race from the first stage until Ayuso’s impressive display in the mountains on Saturday.
Ireland’s Healy finished 2:54 behind Ayuso in the GC, having lost considerable ground on Friday, dropping out of the top 10 but shaking off that disappointment to finish eighth on Saturday’s stage. He was 100th overall today.
Eddie Dunbar, the other Irishman competing in the Tirreno-Adriatico, crashed out on Friday.
Elsewhere, Matteo Jorgenson won the eight-day Paris-Nice race on Sunday, crossing the finish line on the French Riviera in second place as another American, Magnus Sheffield, won the stage from a solo attack.
Visma’s Jorgenson started out last Sunday as his team’s co-leader with two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard who pulled out in midweek due to a hand injury.
“It was stressful, all week, but I did it,” said Nice resident Jorgenson. “We knew it would be tough and draining. But everyone worked.
“I’m happy to be on this team and man, I won this race two years in a row.”
Ireland’s Ryan Mullen finished 110th in the GC.
- You can view the classifications here>