If the opening stage in Lido di Camaiore fully respected tradition, both in terms of the course and the winner (Filippo Ganna), Stage 2 of the Tirreno Adriatico 2026 — the 206 km Camaiore to San Gimignano — will introduce something new that fans are sure to enjoy: gravel roads. Memories of the Strade Bianche are still fresh and the hype remains high, so let the dust rise in San Gimignano as well.
The stage starts in Camaiore and heads toward Pisa and the Province of Livorno area, before leaving the coast near Cecina and continuing inland toward Pomarance. Along the way comes the climb of Castelnuovo Val di Cecina (KOM, 9.7 km at 3.3%), followed by a sequence of rolling roads leading to the gravel sector just outside San Gimignano.
The 5.3 km off-road section, mostly uphill and featuring ramps into double-digit gradients, ends very close to the finish, where riders will face a final kick up toward the historic centre of San Gimignano (1.3 km at 7%).
Whenever gravel comes into play, thoughts immediately turn to Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin–Premier Tech) and Wout van Aert (Team Visma | Lease a Bike). Both are expected to try to make their mark, but plenty of others will want to be in the mix. Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) will aim to defend the Maglia Azzurra and perhaps even gain a few more seconds, while the finale also suits the characteristics of Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates–XRG), Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl–Trek).
The day looks more complicated for fast men such as Jonathan Milan (Lidl–Trek), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Premier Tech), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto–Intermarché) and Paul Magnier (Soudal–Quick-Step), although they cannot be ruled out completely.
Tirreno Adriatico 2026, Stage 2: 206 km
Start: 10:50
KM 0: 10:55
LIVE coverage begins: 09:45
Finish: around 15:45
TV: In Italy the race will be broadcast on RAI channels and streamed on RaiPlay, as well as on HBO Max and Discovery+, and on Eurosport channels.
