MILAN-SAN REMO
SATURDAY 20 MARCH | 299KM START: 8.40 | FINISH: 14:50
It is fitting that as the western world slowly emerges from what we hope will be the worst ravages of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 edition of Milan-san Remo, too, is returning to something more akin to what we have been used to over its recent history.
The 2020 race, moved into a midsummer slot, was forced to take on a much hillier route than normal as a raft of coastal councils refused to shut the main road during the tourist season. But the 2021 edition returns to normality. The gateway to the coast over the Passo del Turchino is still out after a landslide in 2019 left it impassable – repairs are due to be completed in the spring but it’ll traverse the 516m high Colle de Giovi instead. Choppy finale
Once the riders catch sight of the sea with just over 100km left to go it’s very much the race we’ve come to know with the three Capi climbs (Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta) reinstated to soften up the legs before the 239m high Cipressa and the diminutive but usually decisive Poggio. Parcours for all
What makes the race charming is that a variety of rider types can win: climbers (Vincenzo Nibali, Julian Alaphilippe, Tom Simpson) and sprinters (Mark Cavendish, Simon Gerrans, Mario Cipollini) as well as everyone in between has stood on the top step in San Remo.
All eyes will be on the same men they’ll be on throughout the Classics season though, according to Ben Swift. “The main problem is going to be [Mathieu] van der Poel and [Wout] van Aert, and I think that’s the problem for everyone. There’s not many guys that can follow them when they accelerate,” Swift told Cyclingnews last week. However, that formula of unpredictability means despite their favourites tag there will always be plenty of riders who fancy their chances against the strongmen of the day.