It took more than seven hours of racing before Saturday’s Milan-San Remo really heated up. To many, that’s the sign of a race far longer than it needs to be; for others it’s what makes “La Primavera” so great: the slow build-up, the anticipation, the promise of fireworks on the Poggio. And there certainly were fireworks on Saturday.
Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep) attacked on the final climb like he did last year, but this time it wasn’t a small group that formed around him: it was only Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). Even then, Van Aert was only able to make contact on the descent off the Poggio — no mean feat when you’re chasing one of the world’s greatest and most courageous descenders.
Once together, Alaphilippe and Van Aert worked well together, holding off the chasing bunch. The sprint that followed was desperately close, with Van Aert just getting the better of his French companion. In doing so, he repeated what Alaphilippe achieved in 2019: winning both Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo in the same season. It was Van Aert’s first victory in a Monument, but you’d have to imagine it won’t be his last …
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- If it weren’t for the pandemic, Michael Albasini would have retired by now.
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- Philippe Gilbert started as one of a couple options for Lotto-Soudal, the other being Caleb Ewan (foreground, left). A win would have given Gilbert victory in all five Monuments.
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- With the 10 km neutral zone included, this year’s Milan-San Remo totalled a staggering 316 km.
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- The early breakaway.
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- Tiesj Benoot had a puncture and needed a replacement wheel.
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- Elia Viviani (left) and Mathieu Van der Poel (right) catch up on the long journey down to the coast.
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- The peloton crossing the River Po – the longest river in Italy.
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- Rescheduling the race to summer meant a different route for this year’s Milan-San Remo. The approach to the coast was stunning.
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- The riders finally reached the Mediterranean with around 35 km to go.
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- It might have been a quiet run-in, but the action certainly heated up on the Poggio.
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- Defending champion Julian Alaphilippe attacked like he did last year …
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- … dragging Wout Van Aert with him.
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- Van Aert was distanced …
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- … but managed to catch Alaphilippe on the descent towards the line. The pair collaborated nicely on approach to the finish …
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- … giving them enough time to sprint against one another as the bunch closed in.
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- Van Aert took the win by mere centimetres …
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- … replicating Alaphilippe’s Strade Bianche-Milan-San Remo double from last year.
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- Bike racing looks a little different in 2020.
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- In the flurry of action on the Poggio, Michael Matthews got squeezed against a wall, cutting up his hand.
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- Despite the injury, Matthews won the bunch sprint to finish third. He was third in 2015 as well.
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- Since crashing out of the Tour de France last year, Van Aert’s raced on the road four times. He was 11th at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, first at Strade Bianche, third at Milano-Torino and first at Milan-San Remo. Not a bad return to racing.
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- There’s obvious respect between the last two winners of Milan-San Remo, and why not?
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- Up next for the Belgian: Criterium du Dauphine, Tour de France, Gent-Wevelgem, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. Expect to see him on the podium again at some point.
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