If you’re keen to watch the race, and you’re in Australia, check out SBS’s live coverage which starts at 12.35am on Monday morning. In the meantime, we’ve put together a gallery of images featuring some of the race’s significant moments from the past 50 years. Enjoy!
To see the provisional starlist of the 2013 Milan-San Remo, click here.
- Eddy Merckx celebrates as he wins his second Milan-San Remo. The Cannibal went on to win Milan-San Remo seven times between 1966 and 1976.
- Eddy Merckx celebrating victory at the 1976 Milan-San Remo.
- Jan Raas won the 1977 edition of the race and is pictured here (centre) with his TI-Raleigh teammate Bert Oosterbosch (right).
- Roger de Vlaminck won the 1979 edition of Milan-San Remo, making it three victories for the Belgian.
- Eddy Planckaert and Marc Sergeant attack the field in the 1982 edition of La Classica di Primavera. This was the first year the decisive Cipressa climb was included in the race.
- Francesco Moser holds aloft the trophy from the 1984 Milan-San Remo. Francesco’s nephew, Moreno, won this year’s Strade Bianche.
- Dutch rider Hennie Kuiper won the 1985 edition of the race, the final of four Monument victories in his career.
- Greg LeMond looks back at a rival during the 1986 race which was won by Irish rider Sean Kelly.
- Laurent Fignon won back-to-back Milan-San Remos in 1988 and 1989. Only eight riders have achieved this feat, including Eddy Merckx who did it three times (1966 & 1967, 1971 & 1972, 1975 & 1976) and Erik Zabel who went back-to-back twice (1997 & 1998, 2000 & 2001).
- Maurizio Fondriest attacks on the Poggio climb in 1993 and would go on to win the race. The Poggio was added to Milan-San Remo in 1960 and its inclusion has meant the race doesn’t always end in a sprint.
- Look at this motley crew. Johan Museeuw, Marco Pantani and all the rest. Maarten den Bakker drives the bunch during the 1997 Milan-San Remo. den Bakker would go on to finish 41st — the highest-placed Dutchman — with Erik Zabel taking out the win.
- Laurent Jalabert and Johan Museeuw falls in the peloton as Erik Zabel takes out the 1997 edition of the race.
- Andrei Tchmile looks back in the last 100m before taking out the 1999 Milan-San Remo.
- Erik Zabel takes victory in the 2001 edition of the race, making it the second time the German had won back-to-back at Milan-San Remo.
- Cipollini’s victory in that race was arguably the biggest of his career at this point (2002) easily beating USA’s Fred Rodriguez and Switzerland’s Markus Zberg (in orange)
- Mario Cipollini and Paolo Batini after the 2002 Milan-San Remo.
- The 2003 Milan-San Remo belonged to Italian rider Paolo Bettini who is seen here winning ahead of Mirko Celestino.
- Erik Zabel celebrates rather prematurely as he is beaten on the line by Oscar Freire in 2004. Stuey O’Grady (far left) thew his bike over the line for third.
- A jubilant Oscar Freire after snatching victory over Erik Zabel by a mere 3cm.
- There was a women’s version of Milan-San Remo, called the Primavera Rosa, which ran from 1999 to 2005. The 2004 edition was taken out by Russian Zoulfia Zabirova with Mirjam Melchers and Oenone Woods also making the podium.
- Alessandro Pettachi won the bunch sprint to take out the 2005 Milan-San Remo. Behind him was Hondo, Hushovd, O’Grady, Freire, and a young Gilbert and Boonen. Pettachi will go into this year’s race as one of two leaders for the Lampre team.
- The peloton hugs the Mediterranean coastline during the 2005 Milan-San Remo.
- Jens Voigt puts himself deep in the pain cave in the 2004 Milan-San Remo with Matthias Kessler hot on his heels.
- There’s no doubt that bike racing can be an emotional. Top left: Heinrich Haussler after being pipped on the line by Mark Cavendish in the 2009 race. Bottom left: Fabian Cancellara celebrates after winning in 2008. Right: Eric Zabel after shedding tears of joy.
- Filippo Pozzato crosses the line first in 2006 while his Team QuickStep teammate Tom Boonen celebrates in the background.
- Oscar Freire pumps the air after winning his second Milan-San Remo, this one in 2007. Second place was Allan Davis, third Tom Boonen, and fourth Robbie Mcewen and fifth was Stuey O’Grady. Not a bad year for the Aussies.
- Fabian Cancellara wins the 2008 edition of Milan-San Remo 4 seconds ahead of the peloton led by Filippo Pozzato. Cancellara had started as one of the favourites in the race and time-trialled his way to victory after leaping away from the 15-rider strong breakaway with 2km to go.
- Cliffs of the Mediterranean near San Remo.
- Heinrich Haussler made a late attack with 250m to go in the 100th edition of Milan-San Remo (in 2009) but Cavendish was too strong, making up Haussler’s 10m lead with 100m to go.
- A distraught and exhausted Haussler moments after finishing the race.
- Michael Rogers spent some time off the front in the 2010 Milan-San Remo, a race that was eventually won by Oscar Freire.
- All bunched up in the 2011 Milan-San Remo which was later won by Matthew Goss, the first Australian to win the race.
- Matthew Goss sprints to the line ahead of Fabian Cancellara in 2011 to become the first Australian to win Milan-San Remo.
- An exhausted Matthew Goss (left) after taking out the 2011 race ahead of Fabian Cancellara (right)
- The peloton rolls through the Campo Ligure during last year’s Milan-San Remo.
- Fabian Cancellara, Simon Gerrans, Vincenzo Nibali at the business end of last year’s race which Simon Gerrans won from the sprint ahead of Cancellara.
- Simon Gerrans outsprints Fabian Cancellara to the finish in 2012. “He (Fabian) was going like a motorbike. He followed Nibali and myself on the Poggio, drove it over the top and was the best descender. Without question Fabian was the strongest, I can’t deny him that” Gerro said in the press conference. “He drove the break to the finish. I gave him one turn but he passed me again. I was confident the break would make it to the finish and I knew what I had to do to finish off the job and win. Fabian was racing to win in the finale. He perhaps thought he had enough to finish it off but perhaps he underestimated me in the finale.” Photo courtesy of Kristof Ramon








































