Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard confirms overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico

Italian 23-year-old Jonathan Milan of Team Lidl-Trek sprinted to victory on the final stage on home soil, holding off Alexander Kristoff and Davide Cimolai.

The 59th edition of the Italian World Tour event finished Sunday afternoon with a 154km stage held around San Benedetto del Tronto. The first part was a hilly one, and that was where a breakaway formed, the many attackers and puncheurs there hoping they could stand a chance against a peloton which wanted a bunch sprint.

Their maximum gap went over the two-minute barrier, which the chasers could easily manage as they made their way to the finishing circuit. In the end, it all came down to a frantic mass gallop, won by Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) after a late attacker was caught just 200 meters from the line.

Soudal Quick-Step didn’t get involved in the fight for a good result on the seventh stage of Tirreno-Adriatico, after sprint ace Tim Merlier abandoned 80 kilometers into the stage.

Denmark's Vingegaard, 27,  finished in the main bunch and ended Italy's seven-stage race one minute and 24 seconds ahead of Spain's Juan Ayuso.

Vingegaard finished Sunday's flat stage safely in the peloton to clinch the Maglia Azzurra, having established a commanding lead over closest challenger Ayuso by winning Saturday's mountainous queen stage on Monte Petrano.

With two stage wins Vingegaard said it had been "a perfect week for the team" and, ominously for his rivals, the two-time Tour de France champion has claimed he is "in better shape than last season at this time".

Australian Jai Hindley completed the podium at Tirreno-Adriatico, one minute and 52 seconds behind Vingegaard.

The first Grand Tour race of the year, the Giro d'Italia, begins on May 4th.

HIGHLIGHTS: 2024 Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 7

2024 Tirreno-Adriatico Stage 7 Top 10

1  MILAN Jonathan Lidl - Trek 3:15:51
2  KRISTOFF Alexander Uno-X Mobility 0:00
3  CIMOLAI Davide Movistar Team 0:00
4  PHILIPSEN Jasper Alpecin - Deceuninck 0:00
5  ANIOLKOWSKI Stanislaw Cofidis 0:00
6  CAPIOT Amaury Arkéa - B&B Hotels 0:00
7  VENDRAME Andrea Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team 0:00
8  LONARDI Giovanni Team Polti Kometa 0:00
9  VENTURINI Clément Arkéa - B&B Hotels 0:00
10  ZANONCELLO Enrico VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè 0:00

2024 Tirreno-Adriatico Final General Classification

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Visma-Lease a Bike, in 26-22-23
2. Juan Ayuso (Esp) UAE Team Emirates, +1-24
3. Jai Hindley (Aus) Bora-Hansgrohe, +1-52
4. Isaac Del Toro (Mex) UAE Team Emirates, +2-20
5. Ben O'Connor (Aus) Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, +2-24
6. Thymen Arensman (Ned) Ineos Grenadiers, +2-25
7. Cian Uijtdebroeks (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike, +3-10
8. Lennard Kämna (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, +4-02
9. Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, +4-05
10. Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkéa - B&B Hôtels, +4-24