Tirreno-Adriatico 2015: Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali go head to head

Three of cycling's so-called "Big Four" will go head to head at the seven-day Italian stage race Tirreno-Adriatico from March 11-17.

Although Chris Froome had pull out due to illness, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana are all set for potentially the most intriguing general classification battle of the season so far.

The sprints are also set to be hotly contested, with Mark Cavendish, Peter Sagan and Elia Viviani all taking part.

Here's how the race will pan out...

THE STAGES

Prologue: Wednesday, March 11 - Lido di Camaiore (individual time trial) - 5.4km | Report

Result and general classification

1 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, 6:04
2 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing, +1sec
3 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, +2
4 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo, same time
5 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling, st
6 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing, +4
7 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn) Cannondale-Garmin, +5
8 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +6
9 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
10 Johan le Bon (Fra) FDJ.fr, +8
Selected others
18 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +10
28 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana, +11
61 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, +19
69 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +21

Stage 2: Thursday, March 12 - Camaiore to Cascina - 153km | Report

Result

1 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal, 3:30:18
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, same time
3 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18, st
4 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha, st
5 Tyler Farrar (USA) MTN-Qhubeka, st
6 Magnus Cort (Den) Orica-GreenEdge, st
7 Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling, st
8 Nicola Ruffoni (Ita) Bardiani-CSF, st
9 Zak Dempster (Aus) Bora-Argon 18, st
10 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Etixx – Quick-Step, st

General classification

1 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, 6:04
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, same time
3 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing, +1sec
4 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, +2
5 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling, st
6 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
 7 Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing, +4
8 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn) Cannondale-Garmin, +5
9 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +6
10 Martijn Keizer (Ned) Lotto-NL-Jumbo, +7 

Stage 3: Friday, March 13 - Cascina to Arezzo - 203km | Report

Result

1 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, 3:58:17
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, same time
3 Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step, st
4 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
5 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing, st
6 Simon Geschke (Ger) Giant-Alpecin, st
7 Paul Martens (Ger) LottoNL-Jumbo, st
8 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana, st
9 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, st
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, st

General classification

1 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing, 8:34:31
2 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, +2secs
3 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, +8
4 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing, +9
5 Matthias Brandle (Aut) IAM Cycling, +10
6 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn) Cannondale-Garmin, +13
7 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +14
8 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar, +16
9 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN-Qhubeka, same time
10 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana, +17

Stage 4: Saturday, March 14 - Indicatore to Castelraimondo - 226km | Report

Result

1 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, 5:53:38
2 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +14secs
3 Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp) Katusha, same time
4 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
5 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
6 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
7 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha, st
8 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, st
9 Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel) Lotto Soudal, st
10 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, st

General classification

1 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, 14:28:18
2 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +17secs
3 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +26
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, same time
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo, +27
6 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar, +28
7 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, st
8 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, +30
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana, +31
10 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, +32

Stage 5: Sunday, March 15 - Esanatoglia to Terminillo - 194km | Report

Result

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 5:26:03
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, +41secs
3 Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp) Katusha, +55
4 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, same time
5 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, st
6 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, st
7 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, st
8 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
9 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida, +1:05
10 Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing, +1:10

General classification

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 19:54:45
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, +39secs
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +48
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, +57
5 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, +1:03
6 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +1:04
7 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +1:06
8 Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp) Katusha, +1:07
9 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +1:12
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, +1:13

Stage 6: Monday, March 16 - Rieti to Porto Sant'Elpidio - 210km | Report

Result

1 Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo, 5:04:13
2 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka, same time
3 Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal, st
4 Magnus Cort (Den) Orica-GreenEdge, st
5 Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida, st
6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN-Qhubeka, st
7 Nikias Arndt (Ger) Giant-Alpecin, st
8 Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18, st
9 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn) Cannondale-Garmin, st
10 Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana, st

General classification

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 24:58:58
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, +39secs
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +48
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, +57
5 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, +1:03
6 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +1:04
7 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +1:06
8 Joaquim Rodriguez (Esp) Katusha, +1:07
9 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +1:12
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, +1:13

Stage 7: Tuesday, March 17 - San Benedetto del Tronto (individual time trial) - 10km | Report

Result

1 Fabian Cancellara (Sui) Trek Factory Racing, 11:23
2 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, +4secs
3 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky, +9
4 Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp) Movistar, +12
5 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo, +16
6 Michael Hepburn (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge, same time
7 Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltn) Cannondale-Garmin, +17
8 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +23
9 Andrey Amador (Cos) Movistar, +25
10 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) MTN-Qhubeka, +26
Selected others
15 Alberto Contador (Esp) Tinkoff-Saxo, +31
21 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, +34
25 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +38
51 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +55

General classification

1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 25:11:16
2 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek Factory Racing, +18secs
3 Rigoberto Uran (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step, +31
4 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ.fr, +35
5 Alberto Contador (Fra) Tinkoff-Saxo, +39
6 Steve Cummings (GB) MTN-Qhubeka, +40
7 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky, +56
8 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +59
9 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +1:09
10 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo, +1:11

KEY STAGE

Stage four. The summit finish at Terminillo has the potential to create some decisive gaps between the contenders for overall victory.

THE FAVOURITES

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo)
In the absence of Froome, the defending champion will be the main favourite to make it two wins in a row. He showed good form at the Ruta del Sol, and both the climbs and time trials suit him.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
The Colombian missed the Ruta del Sol through injury, so his condition is somewhat unknown, but it will be a surprise if he isn't going toe to toe with Contador on the mountain stages. Could lose time in the time trials, though.

Vincenzo Nibali (Astana)
The Italian won the race in both 2012 and 2013 so has good pedigree, but his form so far in 2015 hasn't been sparkling. He will need to raise his game significantly if he is to follow Contador and Quintana in the mountains.

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha)
Like Nibali, Rodriguez has made a slow start to the season and has not shown the sort of form that will challenge Contador and Quintana. However, he has a decent record in the race so don't be too surprised to see him rise to the occasion.

BRIT WATCH

Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step).
Steve Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka).
Ian Stannard (Team Sky).
Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge).

THE JERSEYS

Blue: General classification.
Red: Points classification.
Green: King of the mountains.
White: Best young rider.

TIME BONUSES

- 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds will be awarded to the first three finishers on each stage.
- 3, 2 and 1 second will be awarded to the first three riders over the line at intermediate sprints.

* Bonuses do not apply in the time trials on stages one and seven.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2014: Alberto Contador (Esp).
2013: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita).
2012: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita).
2011: Cadel Evans (Aus).
2010: Stefano Garzelli (Ita).
2009: Michele Scarponi (Ita).
2008: Fabian Cancellara (Sui).
2007: Andreas Kloden (Ger).
2006: Thomas Dekker (Ned).
2005: Oscar Freire (Esp).