It's cold and uncomfortable on the big stage. A fresh wind whistles across the Piazza della Vittoria in Genoa. Not nice working conditions for the day's leading actresses in their thin, tight and short cycling shorts. The warming thoughts that it's a special day with the chance of a big performance don't help much. It's the day of the Milan-San Remo Renaissance for the women.
Katarzyna Niewiadoma, last year's Tour de France winner, hurriedly stomps on her cycling shoes in front of the billboard under the mighty victory arch in the centre of the square and speaks for 100 seconds without a dot or a comma into the microphones and cameras, whose spotlights brighten up the dull grey of the morning at least a little. "Of course it's something extraordinary to have Milan-San Remo back with the women and to be there myself. It's also great for the development of women's cycling," says the 30-year-old Polish rider from Team Canyon-SRAM, before quickly escaping to the podium for the team presentation and on to her road bike, which she will be riding as soon as possible to warm up for the first edition of Milano-San Remo Women, the new women's competition in the programme of the traditional spring classic. "It's a historic day," emphasises Elisa Longo Borghini, the Italian champion from Team UAE-ADQ. With chattering teeth, trembling limbs and arms folded in front of their chests, the riders bravely face up to their duties in the pre-programme, befitting the historic significance of cycling. For 20 years, the less favoured gender in cycling did not find a stage at one of the big, traditional cycling races in Italy. Women at Milan-San Remo or the Tour of Lombardy? Until that day: no women. And all this in the cycling-loving country that, according to the world rankings, is number two among the top nations in women's cycling, behind the outstanding Netherlands.
Identical final?
In terms of historical significance for their sport, the categorisation for the cyclists was clear, but questions about race strategy and tactics were much more difficult to answer. Nobody knew exactly what to expect from the 142 starters from 24 teams on the 156-kilometre ride from Genoa to San Remo, over initially rain-soaked roads and the well-known key points of Capo Cervo, Capo Mele, Capo Berta, Cipressa and Poggio, followed by the speedy descent down the famous Via Roma, where Eddy Merckx once rejoiced. After 18 kilometres of racing, the women's route followed the same route as the men's route. So an identical finale, but also a comparable race? "I'm very curious to see how the women's race will be organised: will it be different to the men's race - or will it be similar?" says Liane Lippert, Germany's best specialist for challenging one-day races, before the start.
Are women giving men a leg up?
A quick WhatsApp message - then it's time for the cycling pairs in the international peloton to get started. "Compliments to RCS. This is a nice step for women's cycling," said Jacopo Mosca at the start in the morning. For the first time, the 31-year-old Italian from Team Lidl-Trek will be sharing his workplace on the coastal road with his wife, co-favourite Longo Borghini - albeit with different working hours. Mosca is a "gregario", as the hard-working helpers in the peloton are called in Italian. Milan-San Remo is a particularly long and hard day's work for him, as he knows in view of his eighth participation. "Last year, I rode from the front for five hours," he says. His job: pacing the peloton. "I'll be thinking about Elisa on the way. I hope I'll hear good news on the radio. If Elisa rides a good race, they can give me moral support," he said at the men's team presentation the day before the race.
Around 20 minutes before the women, the men, led by top favourites Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel, set off on the 289-kilometre race, which is almost twice as long. They start in Pavia, south of Milan, in rain and thick fog in the Po Valley. A cold descent follows from the Turchino Pass in the Apennines down to the Mediterranean coast near Genoa. "I was happy when I saw the sun," said van der Poel, but was only able to enjoy the sun much later in his working day than the women. Conversely, they were possibly not angry that there was still no equality in terms of race distance on this day - even if some would like to see a few more kilometres towards the 200-kilometre mark in the future.
Inhibited debutants at Milan-San Remo
It almost seemed as if many of the starters had stage fright, afraid of a botched performance at the premiere on the big stage of the traditional competition. Tour winner Niewiadoma's attempt on the Poggio proved to be not powerful enough. No one could or wanted to attempt the big attack. And perhaps the competition was also eyeing the top favourite Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) too closely, who cranked up the Cipressa and the Poggio in her race of the year so inconspicuously as if the battle for the premiere victory was simply none of her business. Some, on the other hand, went too fast. At an average speed of 41.8 km/h, the top riders raced from the start to the finish. "From the foot of the Poggio to the finish, everyone was at the limit," said the current best climber in the peloton, Demi Vollering from the Netherlands, adding: "Now I understand Pogi's frustration - the last climb is over so quickly." The Slovenian Pogačar, known as "Pogi" in the peloton, has been fighting for years to turn pure strength into a victory in San Remo. But Vollering did much less for his own success than the man he was talking to a good two hours later.
There were only appreciative murmurs on the screens in the bars along the route when Longo Borghini took the lead late, but decisively. After the descent from the Poggio, when the members of the leading group looked at each other waiting, the woman in the tricolour striped jersey of the Italian champion took off with a spirited attack in the last two kilometres. It looked promising. But then world champion Kopecky decided to make a sensational appearance after all, albeit in a supporting role: she dragged the dozen or so chasers around team-mate Lorena Wiebes to the line alone - the breakaway was caught around 100 metres before the finish, Wiebes, currently the fastest woman in the peloton, sprinted irresistibly to victory, ahead of 37-year-old compatriot Marianne Vos and Swiss rider Noemi Ruegg. Demi Vollering finished fourth. "Lotte was very important. I'm very grateful to her - we always pay each other back," said the winner, emphasising the importance of the decisive preparatory work by her team-mate in the rainbow jersey.
Searching for the key to success
While Kopecky and Wiebes and their team-mates were celebrating and laughing in each other's arms behind the finish line on Via Roma, a few steps further on some were already analysing the race critically. "It was super fast and chaotic," said Urska Zigart at the finish. The 28-year-old Slovenian knows the course inside out. She lives in nearby Monaco with her partner Tadej Pogačar and regularly rides the roads that are decisive in Milan-San Remo during training. And of course she also watches her boyfriend's races. "We give each other tips," she emphasises. However, perhaps the most prominent couple in cycling has not yet deciphered the race or found the winning formula for success. Zigart fought her way over the penultimate crest on the Cipressa at the end of the leading field - where her partner tried everything to finally win La Classicissima a good two hours later. Both tried in vain. Mathieu van der Poel refused to be shaken off and finally won the final sprint ahead of the tenacious Italian Filippo Ganna and Pogačar, who had previously shaped and organised the race with his UAE team.
"To make the race as exciting as possible, to show my best," promised Longo Borghini before the race. And she kept her word. "It's a great race because the final is so unpredictable. I take my hat off to Lorena Wiebes - but they won't catch me next time," said the narrowly beaten Italian. She would love to write the next chapter of success. After all, the story of Milan-San Remo in the women's race is only just beginning.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
