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EF EDUCATION milling about pre-race in Milano. Their Colombian climber Sergio HIGUITA was their top finisher 36th +12s | 
With a clear sky, Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) donned the white shorts today | 
Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) at the start 60 years after his grandfather won this race |
Winner from two years ago, Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP), attacked on the Poggio but didn't get away and settled for 16th s.t. | 
4th for the 3rd straight year, Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE): "It was a bittersweet Milano-Sanremo for me. On the one hand, I'm happy because I'm feeling better and my form is gradually improving, although there is still work to be done to reach a top level. On the other hand, I'm a bit angry because it was another Milano-Sanremo where I missed the chance to get a victory. We worked very well throughout the day, everybody in the team put in a great effort. When the attack was made on the Poggio, a small group went away and I was in the one right behind, together with other strong riders. We didn't respond to the attack, either because we couldn't or because we felt we would bridge the gap on the descent. In fact, the two front groups merged and it was clear we would go for a fast sprint finish. I gave my best in the sprint and finished fourth." | 
Last year's winner Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) was 3rd today: “It was, like always, a fast descent of the Poggio. Once we hit the bottom, Jasper went on the attack, which was a really good move. It was a bit hard for me to chase and a lot of the guys were looking at me. I just came short at the end and Caleb Ewan was a bit faster. Because of the high number of favourites, there was still a big group at the top of the Poggio. I attacked and Julian Alaphilippe did too but apparently it wasn't fast enough. It was still a good opportunity for me to have a sprint at the end of a long race. Nevertheless we have a nice winner and I have to be satisfied with third place.” |
The winning team, TREK - SEGAFREDO | 
The rollout from Milan: Sunny but a little chilly | 
The most difficult part of the course is not catching a tire in the criscrossing tram tracks on the way out of Milan |
A vineyard to start of the scenery shots | 
The break on the coast | 
The peloton dwarfed by the idle cruise ship, Carnival Corp's Costa Smeralda, which will resume cruises in a week despite another surge of Covid-19 cases |
The break | 
More iconic coastal shots | 
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Last break survivor, Taco Van Der Hoorn (Netherlands / Team Intermarche Wanty Gobert) is about to be caught | 
Deceuninck - Quick-Step leading the chase | 
Sam Oomen (Netherlands / Team Jumbo-Visma) - Julian Alaphilippe (FRA - Deceuninck - Quick-Step) - Mathieu Van Der Poel (NED - Alpecin-Fenix) - Luke Rowe (GBR / Team INEOS Grenadiers) |
Impressive work by Luke Rowe (INEOS Grenadiers) who pulled for 10 km to the base of the Cipressa | 
Sam Oomen (NED - Jumbo - Visma) now at the front for Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) | 
Previous winner, Julian ALAPHILIPPE (FRA/DECEUNINCK - QUICK-STEP) attacks on the Poggio |
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA - Deceuninck - Quick-Step) was joined by last year's winner Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) | 
Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) went over the Poggio in the lead followed by, surprise, Caleb Ewan (AUS - Lotto Soudal) | 
No daredevil descents this year; Wout Van Aert (BEL - Jumbo - Visma) led the descent of the Poggio, followed by Caleb Ewan (AUS - Lotto Soudal) and Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX) who had moved up by this point |
2.2 km to go: Jasper Stuyven (BEL - Trek - Segafredo) attacked on the flat run to the line along Via Roma... a smart move given almost no one in the lead group had any teammates | 
Søren KRAGH ANDERSEN (DEN/DSM) bridged up to Stuyven content to set pace hoping for a podium spot. Last 2 km from Eurosport (restricted to Europe) | 
After a brief respite on the wheel of KRAGH ANDERSEN, Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) had enough energy to sprint and hold off the gaining field |
The finish scene in Sanremo as Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) hangs on to win the 112th edition of Milano-Sanremo | 
The winning margin: Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) wins in 6:38:06 ahead of 2 Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL), 3 Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA), 4 Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE), 5 Mathieu VAN DER POEL (NED/ALPECIN-FENIX), 6 Michael MATTHEWS (AUS/BIKEEXCHANGE), 7 Alex ARANBURU DEBA (ESP/ASTANA - PREMIER TECH), 8 Sonny COLBRELLI (ITA/BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS), 9 Søren KRAGH ANDERSEN (DEN/DSM), 10 Anthony TURGIS (FRA/TOTAL DIRECT ENERGIE), | 
Fastest among the sprinters, Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL) edges Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) for 2nd while Peter SAGAN (SVK/BORA - HANSGROHE) was 4th for the 3rd year in a row |
You never know what's going to happen at the end of a 300 km bike race; Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) wasn't a favorite | 
A Belgian chocolatier wins Milan Sanremo with perfect artistry | 
Jasper Stuyven (Trek - Segafredo) in the limelight for his first monument win |
Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) collapses in disbelief and exhaustion before celebrating with his TREK - SEGAFREDO teammates | 
Belgian celebration with 1st Jasper Stuyven (Belgium / Team Trek - Segafredo) and 3rd Wout Van Aert (Belgium / Team Jumbo-Visma) | 
Mistimed the catch, 2nd Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL): “The first time I finished second in 2018, I thought it was a good result as it was only my second participation in La Primavera. Now, it’s a major disappointment. That second place in 2018 confirmed that I could potentially win the race one day and that is why most years, Milan-Sanremo is a main goal for me. I knew I was coming into the race with good form and this year, I really tried to improve my climbing. I even practiced that attack on the Poggio many times.”Ewan could have used temmate Philippe Gilbert in the finale however, he didn't have a good day: “I am very disappointed. I thought I had good legs, but in the end I just didn’t have the energy to play a role in the race. It certainly wasn’t due to a lack of motivation, but I just missed a pair of good legs today. Of course, it wasn’t my best Milan-Sanremo, but it was still nice to have this day in the legs for the races to come.” |
Jasper Stuyven (Trek - Segafredo) hits the stage | 
Your 2021/112th edition podium at Milano-Sanremo: 2 Caleb EWAN (AUS/LOTTO SOUDAL), 1st Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO) 6:38:06, 3 Wout VAN AERT (BEL/JUMBO-VISMA) | 
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According to the TREK - SEGAFREDO race director, it was the team's plan to have Jasper STUYVEN attack after the Poggio descent | 
Jasper STUYVEN (BEL/TREK - SEGAFREDO): "We knew that on the Poggio everyone was waiting for the big explosion [of the peloton]. I managed to stay in the front group. At the top of the hill, I decided that I would attack and give it all or nothing, rather than finish between 5th to 10th place. There were no helpers left in that group, but the big 3 [Van der Poel, van Aert, Alaphilippe] were there, I knew they would look a little bit at each other. The one who’d close the gap wasn’t going to win. After the downhill, I could go on the left side and put a big gear on. I handled thirty seconds of big pain. I saw Soren [Kragh Andersen] was coming. It was nice to get a bit of help. He kind of attacked and put me on the limit but he was at the limit too. I had to believe in my chances until the end. They were coming from the back. It was the hardest final meters of my career, but I’ve won other races in a similar way. It’s one of my strengths, to stay out front if they give me the gap. Winning a Monument this way is really nice. It’s normal that pre-race favourites were designated, based on how those three were riding. If I had to go one against one of them, there was a big chance that they were stronger than me. I said in a lot of interviews that they’re strong and fast but that doesn’t mean I’m on the start line of a race to just finish fourth. That’s my approach to every race. If you believe in yourself, they’re not unbeatable, that’s the right mentality for winning." |
“To be honest, there were a lot of fast guys in the group at the bottom of the Poggio, and I had the instinct that I know if I can find the gap, it’s my strength that I can have a good finale. They were hesitating and I took a lot of speed in the last part of the downhill from the Poggio, and that was only instinct,” added Stuyven.“I was not going to go to the line with all these fast guys because you never know what you get. I actually said to a friend of mine that I was going to go all-in – all or nothing. There was no one with a teammate and that was also in my advantage. It was nice to find the moment and immediately have the gap and then just empty the legs to the line.” |
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