The 2005 Milan-San Remo (M-SR) has the distinction of being the first one day race on the new UCI Pro Tour. Although it remains to be seen if the Pro Tour is of interest to the riders and teams, M-SR is of considerable interest to the race entourage and tifosi on two other counts, not least of which are the historic battles the coastal roads have witnessed.
A TRUE CLASSIC
Firstly, it is one of the ‘five monuments’ and one of the most prestigious single day races in the world. Secondly, for the Italian riders and fans alike M-SR is seen as their National Championship (in other words considerably more important than the real championship race later in the season). For the proud Italians this is a no holds barred race. Careers and reputations are guaranteed after a win in ‘La Primavera’.
Interestingly it is the intense nationalistic competition which has often seen the home riders lose their much valued race. As they fight amongst themselves it is not uncommon for riders from elsewhere to capitalize on the situation. A good example is the 1977 race, where not only were the Italians eyeing each other but also they were eying the all dominant Belgian team which included Eddy Merckx. And the Belgian team in turn was dealing with its own internal power struggles on the road. So as the Italians and Belgians struggled amongst themselves an enterprising young rider, Jan Raas, from Holland won the race by three seconds from a bunch containing most of the favorites.
There’s never a dull moment at the finish in San Remo.
Jan Raas, like so many other M-SR winners forged his win on the very last climb of the race, the famed Poggio di San Remo. Starting in Milan the race covers almost 290kms following a route that has remained almost unchanged since the first edition in 1907. Before reaching the Poggio the race traverses the largely flat Po valley before it ascends the Turchino Pass. From there it courses along the spectacular coastal roads of the Italian Riviera. Towards the end of the race there are five small climbs, the Capo’s of Mele, Cervo and Berta. Then comes the famous Cipressa climb and finally the Poggio. It is the Poggio more than anything that makes the M-SR unique with respect to other elite races. Everyone, riders, teams and tifosi alike know exactly where crunch time will take place. It is about 1.5 km from the top of the Poggio where a false-flat kills the legs and give those with superior early season form the opportunity to win. That is the exact point where Jan Raas made his move.
Milan-San Remo: 290km from Milan to the Mediterranean, and a bunch of stinging climbs at the end.
Some years later we also saw the magnificent Sean Kelly launch a spectacular chase here in pursuit of the lone leader Moreno Argentin. Kelly’s descent down the Poggio that day is still considered as probably the fastest and most hair raising exploit in the annals of the M-SR. Taking unbelievable risks, Kelly caught Argentin on the final run in to San Remo and with the peloton close behind out sprinted Argentin.
With its mid-March date M-SR has always fallen to those that have put in an extremely hard winter of training. The distance alone taxes endurance, or the lack thereof. The famed climbs are not of the type favored by real ‘grimpeurs’ and sprinters with good form can dictate the race throughout its length. A look at the list of race winners tells that story. It is dominated by the great classics specialists, sprinters and ‘rouleurs’ like Rik Van Steenbergen, Fred De Bruyne, Sean Kelly and Erik Zabel. However, great all-rounders and Grand Tour winners do make it to the top step of M-SR’s podium. Most notable of course is Eddy Merckx with his record seven wins. For Italy Constante Girardengo comes close with his six wins spanning the years between 1918 and 1928. Naturally the ‘campionissimo’ himself, Fausto Coppi features with three wins as does his great rival Gino Bartali with four wins.
This is where the team strategists plan their battles – over the Cipressa and the Poggio.
The last Grand Tour winner to succeed at the M-SR was Gianni Bugno in 1990. For this year’s edition the best bet for a current Grand Tour winner to take the M-SR laurels is the young and astounding Italian Damiano Cunego. However it will probably be the sprinters who rule the day. Last year Erik Zabel made a terrible mistake inches from the finish line and ceded the race to current World Champion Oscar Friere, and both will be favorites again this year. For the home country Alessandro Petacchi ranks as favorite although Fabian Cancellara could spoil his day having shown great early season form. Belgium’s Tom Boonen is another obvious challenger having already secured a handful of wins this year. An outsider, but certainly one not to be trifled with, is the ‘Lion King’, Mario Cippollini. He too has shown good early season form having beaten Petacchi in a clean sprint earlier this month.
To read more about the development of the M-SR as well as an account of Fausto Coppi’s 1946 Grand Journey go to CyclingRevealed.com.
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