Tirreno-Adriatico kicks off the Italian WorldTour to the stunning shores of the Adriatic Sea

The Italian stage race takes places between Monday March 6 until Sunday March 12, having moved from its traditional mid-week start and finish this year

The week long stage races includes seven stages. This year's race starts with an individual time trial and ends with a road stage, another change to tradition.

The race crosses central Italy from the Tyrrhenian coast to the Adriatico coast via the Tuscany, Umbria, Le Marche and Abruzzo regions. However every edition is different.

Tirreno-Adriatico is the traditional final preparation race for Milan-San Remo and the other Spring Classics, with the week of hard racing in the central Italian hills long considered as the best way to peak for the following month.

Tirreno-Adriatico competes against Paris-Nice but arguably offers better weather, better food and a taste of Italy to whoever is also targeting the Giro d'Italia in May.

In recent years race organisers RCS Sport have designed a harder race that has attracted some of the biggest Grand Tour riders in the peloton. Tadej Pogacar has taken home the winner's trident trophy for the last two years, with Primoz Roglic, Alberto contador and Vincenzo Nibali also on the roll of honour.

Tirreno-Adriatico is part of the UCI WorldTour and so awards a haul of valuable ranking points and prestige.

The 18 WorldTour teams have received automatic invitations, with the remaining places going to seven ProTeams.

Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar retained his Tirreno-Adriatico title last year, when he finished the final stage safely in the bunch after a dominant week, he secured his two stage victories by getting away from his rivals with impressive ease, leaving them with little hope of clinching the overall title.

This year's race will suit the sprinters with multiple opportunities to take Victory.