MILAN- SAN REMO
Milan-San Remo often takes place under skies of purest azure, as befits its position in cycling as the harbinger of spring. However, bad weather almost became the biggest factor in this year’s edition of the race. Not the clement conditions of the Mediterranean in mid-March, but the heavy rain that fell on the Ligurian coast in December last year. Landslides caused by the rain damaged the race’s iconic Poggio climb, to the extent that its inclusion in the 2020 edition was in serious doubt. La Primavera without the Poggio is not quite spaghetti bolognese without tomatoes - the climb was included on the parcours for the first time in 1960, but it’s still the focal point of the day, and its absence would have been felt. However, as we went to press it looked as if the famous climb was set to make its usual appearance in the race.
The sprinters are always the favourites in Milan-San Remo - depending on the wind, how hard the 300km race has been and luck, the Poggio is just hard enough to favour attackers, yet just survivable for a peloton of 30 or 40 to cross. If a bigger group does make it to the finish, the sprint has less of the tactical finesse and speed of a Tour stage and is more of a last-ditch surge to the line. Not many sprinters have the luxury of a leadout after such a long race. But in the last three races, an escapee has won, though Nibali’s 2018 victory was just metres ahead of his closing pursuers. Alaphilippe won from a group of 12 last year.
All eyes this year will be on Philippe Gilbert, who only needs Milan-San Remo to complete a quintet of monument wins. If he wins, he’ll be only the fourth rider in history to take all five, and the first since Roger De Vlaeminck in 1977 to complete the set. Gilbert’s challenge will be prodigious - the easiest monument to finish is the hardest to win, as they say. His rivals will be keenly aware of his desire to win - it’s not a matter of if he’ll attack at some point, but when.