Stage 5 was the queen stage of the 2015 Tirreno−Adriatico and the only summit finish of the race. It took the riders on a course from Esanatoglia. The peloton first travelled south, crossing three significant climbs in the first . The middle of the stage was flat, as the riders travelled southwest towards Terni, but the final part of the stage was difficult. The route first passed through Rieti, then turned east towards the summit finish at a ski station on Monte Terminillo. The final climb was in length, with an average gradient of 7.3% and a total ascent of . The steepest sections were in the first part of the climb (one section had a gradient of 12%); the rest of the climb had a steady incline, except for the final few hundred metres of false flat. The stage took place in cold, difficult conditions with temperatures below . There were rumours before the stage that it would have to be cancelled, but these were refuted by the race organisers and the stage took place as planned.