Ballerini in the mix again at Tirreno-Adriatico

Italian confirms good condition by delivering another strong sprint.

First settled by the Gallic tribe of the Senones – which originally hailed from the Seine basin – and later ravaged during the Punic Wars and Visigoth invasion of the Italian Peninsula, Senigallia welcomed the peloton on a sunny afternoon with some wide pan-flat roads that smiled to the sprinters, who were beginning to feel neglected after three days of suffering in the hills and mountains of Umbria.

For those reasons, the breakaway was doomed even before getting clear, but that didn’t stop five men from forging out a three-minute advantage that helped them stay in the front until with ten kilometers to go. Piloted by Florian Sénéchal, Davide Ballerini took his second top 10 at the race, after the one in Follonica, sprinting to sixth place as Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix) claimed the victory on the Adriatic coast.

Fausto Masnada and James Knox enjoyed quite a quiet day at the office, which they both comfortably finished in the bunch, as they retained their position in the general classification top 10. For the two Deceuninck – Quick-Step riders, an important test will come on Sunday, when the race will take on the rolling and demanding roads to Loreto.

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