This is it ! La Primavera, first Monument of the year, and nearly 300 long kilometres to ride between Milano and San Remo for our 192 riders.
Only sprinters in the favorites liste. Let’s see how they managed to beat everyone else this year.
As soon as the race is on, Verwilst goes for the attack. He’s followed by Filutas and Yamamoto and they earn a 30 seconds gap very fast.
Behind them, Strakhov and Neilands, escape of the peloton, followed soon after by Chen, Muhindo and Kulppi.
After 15 kilometres, there are 13 riders in front, with a two minutes lead :
Neilands, Kulppi
Toupalik
Bax
Salazar
Muhindo, Filutas
Verwilst
Müller
Strakhov
Chen, Yamamoto, Lyu
Other riders, like Ulloa, Fedeli or Kanerva have tried to go out, but they have been shut down by Van Hooydonck and Putti.
The favorite’s teams begin to control.
After 36 kilometers, the break has a 4’ gap, which is down to 2’52 at the beginning of the Passo del Turchino. Toupalik, Muhindo, Chen, Verwilst and Müller doing most of the work. The pack goes with a good pace, with seven team making the chase.
The break didn’t loose time in the hill and they begin the descent.
We’re back a bit later, when we enter the mark of the last 100 km. The peloton is on the seaside, 2’ behind the break, thanks to the great work of the likes of Tolhoek, Putti, Vila, Bolivar and Meiler. The sprinters team clearly don’t want to leave to much space to a strong break.
Under the 60 km mark, the peloton is catching on. Salazar wants to try his luck alone. He’s followed by Bax and Filutas, but everyone is brought back together by Neilands, who shuts down another attack from Filutas.
Müller then counters, but this time Neilands and Yamamoto can’t follow, and he gets a 20 seconds lead. In the peloton, Vila, Bolivar and Meiler make a great effort as we’re in sight of the Capo Mele.
The chasing group brings Müller back at the beginning of the Capo Cervo thanks to the work of Kulppi, Chen and Muhindo. Yamamoto immediately launches another attack. Only Filutas and Neilands can follow him, all profiting from the work of their teammates. The peloton is 30 seconds behind them.
In the pack, the favorites are near the front.
The chasing group is brought back by the peloton lead by Brockhoff in the Capo Berta. Seems like Polar has big ambitions for this race.
The leading trio has a one minute gap.
And the break is over in the first meters of the Cipressa. The leaders are very near the front.
Madouas and Kelly make a great effort in the hardest part of the climb. All the domestiques and most the break riders can’t follow this pace.
At the 15 km mark, Andersen launches an attack on a flat section. He’s followed by Pedersen. Sagiv and Baska lead the chase and bring them back two kilometres later.
Shortly before the 10 kilometres mark, Andersen tries again, but Sagiv doesn’t let him go. Behind, Thijssen and Lopez are dropped. There is 167 riders in the pack, lead by Mundle in the first slopes of the Poggio. They are a few seconds behind Konychev who tried to go out. Halfway through the climb, the sprinters are all behind Karatzios, who leads the way. Ewan and Van der Lijke a bit behind.
Just at the end of the Poggio, Nych launches an attack. He’s followed by Pedersen and Sulimov.
That’s what Polar was preparing!
In the pack, the favorites’ team are looking at each other and nobody seems to chase. The attackers have 30 seconds gap at the five kilometres mark.
The pack finally begin to organize itself with the pull of Teunissen as the red kite is in sight.
The leaders still have a 20 seconds gap. Nych doing most of the work as they enter the last kilometre.
700 meters, and Pedersen launches. He’s by a fair margin the best sprinter of the leading group. All his to hold back the pack!
400 meters, Pedersen still leading the sprint.
Huge victory by Pedersen! Sulimov comes in second, and an exhausted Nych completes the podium.
Behind them, Coquard, Manninen and Gaviria began their sprint for the honour places from very far! Grosu, Groenewegen, Van der Sande, Demare and Van der Lijke already seem a bit behind. Ewan is not in the mix.
With 400m to go, all is still open for 4th place. But as the photo’s missing, you’ll have to take my word on it.
200 meters, nobody can really make a difference, even though Manninen doesn’t seem able to compete with the two others.
Coquard takes 4th with a rubber length! Gaviria makes it 5th, while Grosu beats Manninen at the last moment for the 6th position.
Van der Sande, Groenewegen and Van der Lijke complete the top 10 of this year’s Milano – San Remo.
