Ireland's Healy bounces back as Ayuso takes control at Tirreno | Video

Ben Healy follows Tom Pidcock, with Mathieu van der Poel behind at Tirreno Adriatico (Photo by Fabio Ferrari-La Presse)

Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) has bounced back from the disappointment of yesterday to put in a much better ride, on a harder finish, at today's stage 6 on Tirreno Adriatico.

However, on a stage when a general classification shake-up always looked likely, young Spanish star Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) took control of the race; claiming stage victory and also the leader's jersey with just one stage remaining.

Behind the flying Spaniard, today's race leader, Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) put in an epic display of climbing and suffering for such a big man. He stayed with the climbers for the longest time and did enough to hold on to a podium position, even though he lost the race lead.

On the final climb of the day - the hors cat Frontignano, 7.6km averaging 7.9 per cent gradient - Healy was among the select group that rode away from the remains of the peloton and overhauled the last of the early breakaway men.

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However, while the Irish rider was on the front of that group with just under 4km to go, Ayuso surged forward and did the key damage of the day. He pulled clear solo, but the scramble to get onto his wheel also split the group to pieces.

Behind the solo leader there formed a three-rider chasing cluster; Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Pro Cycling), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) and Mikel Landa (Soudal-QuickStep). Initially, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) and Healy were just behind them.

And that was essentially the way it stayed, though Healy was caught and passed by a few more riders. Ayuso climbed his way up the remainder of the ascent to win by 13 seconds from Pidcock, with Hindley and Landa a further two seconds down in 3rd and 4th.

Tiberi did well to limit his losses, finishing in 5th at 20 seconds, with Derek Gee (Israel Premier Tech) on his wheel in 6th. Isaac del Torro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) was 7th at 36 seconds, followed by Healy, in 8th at 42 seconds.

As Ganna finished in 13th, in a group 50 seconds down, he slips to 3rd overall. Ayuso leads, by 37 seconds, from Tiberia, with Ganna next at 38 seconds ahead of tomorrow's finale into San Benedetto del Tronto, which may be one for the sprinters.

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Though Healy improved his general classification position today - now up to 24th at 2:54 - the time he lost when being dropped on the final climb yesterday meant his hopes were over. Still, he has not imploded on this race; his efforts today suggesting yesterday may have been a blip.

Eddie Dunbar (Team Jayco AlUla) was not in action today, having crashed out yesterday, though Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) remains and was 142nd today at 17:07. Having suffered through a tough week, with brutal wet weather, Bennett may get a chance tomorrow to sprint for a victory.

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