Stage 4 – Tagliacozzo to Martinsicuro, 210 km – is by far the hardest to read on paper. The profile suits attackers, sprinters, and even GC contenders. What’s certain is that for the third consecutive year, Tirreno Adriatico features another 200 km-plus stage, ideal preparation for Milano–Sanremo.
We became familiar with Tagliacozzo just last year at the Giro d’Italia, when the race finished uphill in Marsia, with Juan Ayuso taking stage victory. It is one of the most important historic centres of western Marsica, located along the ancient Via Valeria, the Roman road that once linked Rome to the Adriatic. Its position made it a strategic crossroads for centuries, connecting Lazio with inland Abruzzo, and fostering its development as early as the Middle Ages. The town has preserved a clearly recognisable urban layout, with squares, palaces, and churches that bear witness to a long and uninterrupted settlement history. Tagliacozzo is also tied to one of the most famous episodes of medieval Italian history: the Battle of 1268 between the Angevins and the Swabians, an event that secured the town a place in European historiography.
From Tagliacozzo, the stage heads toward the climbs of Ovindoli (10.6 km at 5.3%) and the Valico delle Capannelle (12.8 km at 4.6%). After a long descent toward Teramo, the final 55 km begin, marked by a relentless sequence of short, punchy climbs and sharp ramps. The riders tackle Castellalto (7.5 km at 4.6%), Mosciano Sant’Angelo (3.1 km at 3.8%), which hosts the intermediate sprint, and then, with 12 km to go, the brutal Tortoreto climb via Badetta (1.6 km at 8.4%, with ramps up to 20%). From there, a descent leads into the final 8 flat kilometres along the Martinsicuro seafront.
Martinsicuro is a coastal town in northern Abruzzo, located at the mouth of the Tronto River, which marks the natural border with the Marche region. Its history is closely tied to the modern development of the Adriatic coastline, although the area preserves traces of much earlier settlements. Over the course of the 20th century, the town experienced significant growth, evolving from a small community rooted in fishing and agriculture into a well-organised seaside resort. The urban layout is characterised by a regular street plan and a well-equipped seafront, while the Torre di Carlo V, built in the 16th century for defensive purposes, stands as one of the town’s main historical landmarks.
The Abruzzese town hosted a Giro d’Italia stage start in 2024 and a Tirreno Adriatico stage start in 2012, while the most recent finish of a major race dates back to the 2011 Giro Next Gen, when a young Moreno Moser claimed victory.
