Cycling

Milano- Torino, Thursday 1.45am.

The 199km trek in northern Italy between Milan and Turin is one of the oldest races in the world. First held in 1876, this will be the 97th edition of the semiclassic race which has been dominated by Europeans and in particular Italians. Australian Phil Anderson, first home in 1987, is the only non- European winner. Italian Marco Pantani never won but was lucky not to have been killed in 1995 when he and two other riders ploughed into a four- wheel- drive vehicle police had mistakenly let on to the course. Suffering multiple leg injuries, Pantani missed the entire 1996 season but came back to win the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France in 1998 before dying of acute cocaine poisoning in 2004. Alberto Contador won in 2012 — the first single- day race win of his professional career. Laurent Jalabert is one of only two Frenchmen to win. His 1997 victory was followed by Henri Plissier, who won in 1911. With four railway crossings, the race has been disrupted at times. The 2000 race was called off due to flooding and slips.