Milan-San Remo :: Moments in History

March 14, 2013

The 2013 edition of Milan-San Remo is quickly approaching this Sunday and it's shaping up to be another sensational race. The 298km classic is the first Monument of the year and while sprinters are often know to win "la classica di Primavera", a handful of climbs towards the end can foil the plans of the fast men and a break sometimes sticks. Could Peter Sagan take home victory as many people are predicting?

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

NY’er

Simply amazing shots. Thanks for sharing Wade. Carn the Aussies!!
jules

great shots wade.
http://twitter.com/nlothian Nick Lothian

The Fignon shot reminds me of his book – he talks at some length about his Milan San Remo wins. It’s clear how important they were to him. (The whole book is worth reading)
Mel

Prediction – three years in a row Aussie first, Cancellara second, what do you think?
Justin

That pic of Fondriest in ’93 reminded me of the terribly chaotic finish that year. A commissaire’s car was stopped within metres of the finish line and the desperate carabinieri tried to stop the other bunches from sprinting. Many of the front group had crashed after the line into the car and Cippo, bless him, threw his bike through the commissaire’s back window in anger. Only in Italy…….1993 Milan-San Remo – YouTube
- Patrick
  
  What I wouldn’t give to see that bike going through the window…
Pete

Great pics.

I really hope that one day Haussler returns to his previous form.

I’m hoping for Cancellara to get the W this year. He just has to work out how to get away from the bunch whilst nobody is looking this time.
http://twitter.com/BPriestie Brad Priest

Great pics. Still feel for Haussler. The Poggio is just fantastic.

Cancellara for the obligatory pic at the fountain.

Thanks Wade
CB

The rival LeMond looks back at is Mario Beccia (pretty sure!). The pic with Planckaert and Sergeant isn’t 1982, my guess 1986, judging my the dirt on their faces. Great pictures nonetheless, as always on CT.
Eugene

great gallery, thanks for putting this together. The first pic though isn’t Merckxs second MSR win but 76. He rode for Peugeot for his first two wins. He had the red Faema jersey for 1969 and 1971 was the first of his Molteni wins. The 1972 one is class in the rainbow jersey! (although he won again in the rainbow in 1975)
Abdu

Nit picking I know, but…Cippolini’s biggest win to date? By the Milan San Remo win he’d won 34 stages & 2 points jerseys in the Giro, and 12 stages in the TdF.
- Sean Doyle
  
  Cippo himself said it was one of his biggest wins. The one he always wanted besides being world champion.
Abdu

Although the English cycling journo’s like to say Gerro’s win was from wheel sucking, they can’t acknowledge the fact that the little guy was able to (almost) match his power output, or that it was simply the best tactical ride, or the existence of Nibali who gave nothing and was most certainly only able to wheel suck (not that there was anything wrong with just hanging on as he did). For mine, Gerro’s win ranks up there with some of the best.
Abdu

Although the English cycling journo’s like to say Gerro’s win was from wheel sucking, they can’t acknowledge the fact that the little guy was able to (almost) match his power output, or that it was simply the best tactical ride, or the existence of Nibali who gave nothing and was most certainly only able to wheel suck (not that there was anything wrong with just hanging on as he did). For mine, Gerro’s win ranks up there with some of the best.
Abdu

Reckon I can see 3 podiums (but not a win) by Tommeke in those photo’s above. And I thought Spartacus was unlucky..?
Abdu

Reckon I can see 3 podiums (but not a win) by Tommeke in those photo’s above. And I thought Spartacus was unlucky..?
Sluggo

Garrans’ win was the worst/cheapest ever…total wheel suck…
- NY’er
  
  Are you serious? Since when has bike racing been about raw power? Gerro showed he’s got a good head on his shoulders and Cancellara showed he still hasn’t learnt from the mistake he continues to make over and over…
  - Patrick
    
    Honest question: How do you think Cancellara would be best served to win these sort of races? It seems he’s been dealt a great bike riding hand, but has only one trick. He knows it, so does the rest of the field. So if he can’t TT away to victory, burning people off his wheel, he’s never going to win. Is there any other tactic available to him? (I’ve no problem with Gerran’s tactics, by the way.)
- http://profiles.google.com/nathanong87 nathan ong
  
  look at the face of nibali and gerrans, that’s not wheelsucking. Gerran’s SRM data was posted on the web and he had to follow some 1000 watt attack downhill by cancellara. Bike racing you race to your strengths. Fabian and gerrans raced to theirs.
  - http://www.cyclingTipsBlog.com cyclingTips
    
    Gerro sent me his SRM data after the race. We analysed it here: http://www.cyclingtips.com.au/2012/03/gerros-milan-san-remo-power-analysis/
- jules
  
  did you realise that wheelsucking is integral to the sport of cycling? the objective is to shelter yourself from the wind. only a fool puts his nose in the wind to show his strength. Cancellara worked as he thought it was his best chance to win – no other reason. winning is all that matters (doping, etc. aside).
- CB
  
  Sour grapes Sluggo ol’ mate. Cancellara should use his brain a bit more, instead of it being all braun. No other rider with a good sprint would’ve done any different then did Gerrans.
http://twitter.com/ankush83 Ankush Agarwal

these are memorable shots, thanks Wade for the compilation.

Haussler’s career could have gone in a different direction if he had won the race but such is life. He’s nowhere close to his best now but I hope he could finish in top 10 for IAM. This year’s race has Sagan written all over it.
http://twitter.com/jeredgruber Jered Gruber

The second image – the one of Merckx semi-smiling, confidence beyond comprehension, holding the trophy and flowers – that’s one of my favorite pictures ever. It’s perfect.

Milan-San Remo :: Moments in History

March 14, 2013

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