Milan-San Remo is the longest race in professional cycling. At the 113th edition on 19 March 2022, it will scratch the 300-kilometre mark. The official race distance is 293 kilometres - not including the 9.8 kilometres that are neutralised (i.e. at a moderate pace) after the start before the race director opens the race at Milan's city limits. The race is traditionally called the "Ride into Spring" or in Italian "La Classicissima" (the greatest classic) or "La Classicissima della primavera" - the "Spring Classic". In the professional racing calendar, it is the first so-called spring classic of the year, the particularly difficult one-day races in March and April. It leads from Milan, which is often still foggy in March, to the mostly sunny Mediterranean coast - in other words, into spring.
Return to the traditional route in 2022
This year, the organiser RCS is returning to the traditional course with Mailaind-San Remo, after choosing a completely new route through the Apennines last year due to a landslide. The starting point in Milan is new: the race starts at 9:50 am at the traditional Vigorelli cycling stadium off. From there, the route heads straight south from the metropolis of Milan to the Mediterranean. The route now passes the Turchino Pass (532 metres) is the highest point of the route - after that, the route drops down to the coast of the Ligurian Sea. There you stay on the Via Aurelia coastal road almost all the way - only at the end is there a selective climb.
Preliminary decision on the Poggio?
The finale begins with the journey across the three capi (small waves on the coastal road), continue across the Rise Cipressa (5.6 kilometres with an average gradient of 4.1 per cent; maximum: 9 per cent). In recent years, it was mostly at the Poggio (3.7 km at 3.7 per cent; maximum: 8 per cent), which peaks 5.5 kilometres before the finish, for a preliminary decision: Will there be a sprint of a large peloton on the Via Roma in San Remo or will a small group of strong climbers be able to break away and save a lead to the finish? Last year's winner Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Team Trek-Segafredo) broke away from a small group at the end of the descent from the Poggio.
Who are the top favourites?
Favourites for the upcoming edition: Sprinters like Caleb Ewan (Australia/Team Lotto-Soudal), Michael Matthews (Australia/BikeExchange) and Jasper Philipsen /Belgium/Alpecin-Fenix) as well as the winners of previous editions such as the Belgian Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Team Jumbo-Visma) and the French world champion Julian Alaphilippe (France). The Roubaix winner is also likely to have a good chance. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy/Team Bahrain) and the two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogacar (Slovenia/Team UAE).
No race for women
Milan-San Remo is the only one of the major spring classics that does not offer a women's race. From 1999 to 2005, a Milan-San Remo for women took place on a shortened course under the name Primavera Rosa. The last edition was won by the German Trixi Worrack.
All the details about the Milan-San Remo 2022 race
Date: Saturday, 19 March 2022
Edition: 113.
First race: 1907
Record winner: Eddy Merckx (Belgium), 7 victories
German winners: Rudi Altig (1968), Erik Zabel (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001), Gerald Ciolek (2013), John Degenkolb (2015)
Result 2021:
1st Jasper Stuyven (Belgium/Team Trek-Segafredo), 299 km in 6:38:06 hours (45.06 km/h)
2. Caleb Ewan (Australia/Lotto-Soudal)
3rd Wout Van Aert (Belgium/Jumbo-Visma)
4th Peter Sagan (Slovakia/Bora-Hansgrohe)
5th Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands/Alpecin-Fenix)
...
14th Maximilian Schachmann (Germany/Bora-Hansgrohe)
all same time
Distance: 293 kilometres
Key point: Poggio
TV broadcast: 09:30 to 14:50/Eurosport 2 (paid) and 14:30 to 17:15 Eurosport 1 (additional, paid offers via Eurosportplayer.com and GCN+)
Website: www.milanosanremo.it
Everyman race Granfondo Milano-San Remo
On Sunday, 5 June 2022, amateur athletes can ride the original route of the spring classic at the 52nd edition of the Granfondo Milano-San Remo. The 295-kilometre amateur race leads up to the Cipressa and over the Poggio, among other things. You can find more information about the hobby event and registration here here.
Andreas Kublik
Editor
