Milan-San Remo: Review

So, Peter Sagan didn't win then! It was probably for the best, as we don't want him getting too big for his boots, now, do we?! There is always a danger of that happening when a rider is labelled the next 'superstar of cycling' and he certainly has a great deal of talent. However, in the end, it was the under-the-radar Gerald Ciolek, riding for the relatively small team of MTN-Qhubeka, who managed to cross the line first.

It was certainly an eventful edition of the Milan-San Remo. Bad weather led organisers to remove a couple of climbs from the race, including the Passo del Turchino and La Manie. Snow meant that it was just too dangerous to pass. Unfortunately, this meant that some riders got back on their team bus and never bothered to get off again when racing re-started, including Tom Boonen, Matt Goss, and Niki Terpstra. Another favourite, Vincenzo Nibali, was later to abandon due to the cold.

By the time the race reached the Cipressa, Team Sky were trying to dominate proceedings, as is their wont. Unfortunately, Geraint Thomas, one of the team leaders came down heavily, whilst their other designated team leader, Edvald Boasson Hagen, looked as though he was struggling up the climb. Philippe Gilbert tried to make a break for it, but Sylvain Chavanel was having none of it and he, alongside five other riders, brought him back.

It was when Sylvain Chavanel, Ian Stannard and Eduard Vorganov attacked that the race got really interesting, making it less and less likely that the race would end in a bunch sprint. Having grown used to seeing Sky colours at the front, rider after rider all in a row, it was somewhat exciting to see Ian Stannard going for it. He is so often the workhorse, sitting for long periods of time at the front, working for others, that he obviously decided to make the most of this opportunity, given that he no longer had to work for Geraint Thomas or Boasson Hagen.

Eventually, Voganov tired and dropped back, whilst the group containing Fabian Cancellara, Peter Sagan, Gerald Ciolek and Luca Paolini bridged the gap. Although Sagan can sprint, Ciolek was the only pure sprinter in the group, so it was looking good for him. However, Stannard decided to give it one last dig and attempted to time trial his way to the line with a few kilometres to go. He didn't get very far, though, and after over five-and-a-half hours in the saddle, it turned out that Ciolek had the strongest legs on the day.