Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Favourites

The 2015 Tirreno-Adriatico is bound to be an exciting race with a pack full of strong GC riders. Nibali, Contador and Quintana, just to name a few... Cyclingstage.com brings you all favourites and outsiders for the overall. (Slideshow route/profile)

Alberto Contador
Contador won edition 2014 with a two minutes lead over Nairo Quintana. This year’s route is less mountainous and more hilly, probably El Pistolero would’ve liked to see it differently. That said, if he is as strong as in 2014 nobody can stop him. Although he says that he is focussing on winning the Giro/Tour double and all other races subordinate to that, once Alberto is on his bike, he definitely wants to win!

Vincenzo Nibali
The Tour de France winner of 2014 took the Tirreno-Adriatico in 2012 and 2013. Last year his pre-season was a disaster, while he peaked to top-form in the Tour. In hindsight it was the perfect preparation, and this makes for the big question: does Nibali have the same scenario in mind for 2015…?

Nairo Quintana
For Quintana it will be no different. The Colombian mountain goat kicked off 2015 with the Tour of San Luis and did so without leaving an impression. Tirreno will be his second race. Speaking to his disadvantage is that the TTT is cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Carlos Betancur
Another rider who could be the one to surprise. With the 25-year-old Colombian you’ll never know what he is up to. Last year he took Paris-Nice by force and the rest of the year he was invisible. That is, in the Vuelta he was very visible since he was overweight at the start. Nevertheless, a talented rider who finished fifth in the 2013 Giro, while being only 23 years of age. What did Betancur do last winter? If he has lived for his sport, he could be one of cycling’s hot-shots in 2015.

Thibaut Pinot
Third in the last year’s Tour de France and still only 24 years of age. Without a doubt a golden future looms – or should we say ‘yellow’? He also won a stage in La Grande Boucle 2012. Strangly this resulted in performance anxiety and a total failure in 2013. Let’s hope for Pinot he doesn’t evolve into a ‘man of the even years’.

Rigoberto Uran
Uran finished second in last two editions of the Giro d’Italia. In 2015 he is aiming for the double Giro/Tour. Odds are on the Tirreno will be a preparation-race for him, but when the big names are sleeping, he is smart and strong enough to take advantage. Uran is both a good climber and a strong time trialist. Moreover, being 28 year of age, the Colombian is in the prime of his life.