Philippe Gilbert is putting the final touches on his condition for Milan-Sanremo. Today he tested his legs by launching a suicide attack in the finale of the flat sprint stage in Tirreno-Adriatico on a day when his teammate Steve Morabito had dominated the early part by going into the early breakaway.

BMC Racing Team's Steve Morabito was part of a four-man breakaway Monday at Tirreno-Adriatico while teammate Philippe Gilbert also briefly made his own escape. But neither move ultimately proved successful and Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) won a sprint disrupted by a late crash. 

Starting uphill out of Bucchianico, the 189-kilometer race featured two climbs en route to two laps of a 13.8-km finishing circuit in Porto Sant'Elpidio.

Morabito was joined by Jack Bauer (Garmin-Sharp), Cesare Benedetti (NetApp-Endura) and Peter Kennaugh (Team Sky) in the breakaway immediately from the start. The quartet saw its advantage peak at nearly six minutes after 45 km before Morabito and Bauer – the last survivors from the break – were swept up with 10 km to go.

Gilbert launched an attack on a small uphill section of the finishing circuit not long after Morabito and Bauer were caught. But after gaining a 10-second advantage, the former world champion was brought back with three kilometers left.

A crash within sight of the red, one-kilometer-to-go kite split the front end of the peloton and led to Cavendish winning the stage ahead of teammate Alessandro Petacchi and Peter Sagan (Cannondale Pro Cycling).

Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) takes a 2:08 advantage over Nario Quintana (Movistar Team) and 2:15 over Roman Kreuziger (also of Tinkoff-Saxo) into the final day of the race. 

"It was a good start for me, with the uphill start," Morabito said. "Today, I wanted to take my chance. I went quite easily to the group (the breakaway). It was a long, long day with some climbs and then dead flat."

"Steve was in the first attack," sports director Valerio Piva said. "It was a bit of suicide because a stage like this is difficult: we knew the end was flat. But they rode intelligently.

"In the final, we had discussed also trying a move. Gilbert went and did it where the road went up. Of course, it was difficult and not enough. But it was a sign he is strong in view of Milan-San Remo. So I am happy about our team and the movements that they did."

The last stage of the race is a 9.2-km individual time trial in San Benedetto del Tronto that is on a nearly entirely flat, out-and-back course along the seaside.

You can read our preview of the final stage here and follow our love coverage at 14.15 CET on CyclingQuotes.com/live.