Mads Würtz Schmidt is the other rider we picked – after champions like van Aert, Alaphilippe, van der Poel and Pogačar – to tell the tale of the 2021 Tirreno-Adriatico. Here we see him enjoy a triumphant win on stage 6, from Castelraimondo to Lido di Fermo.
We picked him because that was the biggest win he took in his professional career, after being out front all day with five other breakaway partners.
We picked him because he had already broken away on stage 4, the one that finished with a gruelling climb to Prati di Tivo, when he attacked from afar, holding off the returning GC contenders to the very end.
We picked him because he took sprint victory on a flat finish, while wearing the best climber’s Maglia Verde.
We picked him because we were amazed at how consistent he was, day after day, breakaway after breakaway, against just a slender chance of success.
We picked him because he helped make the race even more unpredictable, diverse and rich, undeterred by the many top competitors, showing that cycling always holds a place for those who are brave enough to take risks.
