The famous Italian Classic race at the start of the season, Milan-San Remo, started its 2010 edition in the rain. Even though the weather got a bit better after a few hours in the race, the riders never found the spring conditions they had last year.

The almost 300 kilometers had of course tired out the riders, but as usual it ended in a sprint and Oscar Freire (Rabobank) was the quickest by finishing the sprint two bike lengths before Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini). The Spanish rider thus wins the Primavera for the 3rd time in his career (after 2004 and 2007)!

The president of the Italian cycling federation, Renato Di Rocco, announced at the start of this Milan-San Remo that Paolo Bettini, double World Champion (2006 and 2007) and Olympic Champion in 2004, will become the new national coach of Italy. He thus succeeds Franco Ballerini, who died in an accident in a car rally early February, who had this role since 2001.

The summary of Milan-San Remo 2010

208 riders came to the start of the 298 kilometer long Italian Classic race this morning. Almost immediately after the start 3 Italian riders escaped: Fabrice Piemontesi (Androni Giocattoli), Daniele Ratti (Carmiooro) and Diego Caccia (ISD Neri) took a lead which went up to no less than 22 minutes. While their lead at the foot of the first climb - the Turchino - was still 16'25", it was down to 12'10" after the almost 20 kilometer long climb.

In the descent of the Turchino, Murilo Fischer (Garmin-Transitions) fell and the peloton was split in two: in the first peloton of 81 riders including Filippo Pozzato (Team Katusha) and Tom Boonen (Quick Step), the winner of Milan-San Remo 2009, Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia), was missing. Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-Farnese Vini) were also in the second group.

After a 202 kilometer escape, the three leading riders were taken back by the first peloton and the gap between the two groups was about one minute at that time. Cavendish' team mates from HTC-Columbia work hard to bring their sprinter back to the first group and they manage to do so at 68 kilometers from the finish.

If two riders deserve to be mentioned, that would be the two young French riders Maxime Bouet (AG2R La Mondiale) and Yoann Offredo (Française des Jeux). The first one, who already attacked in Paris-Nice 2010 in the Pernes-les-Fontaines > Aix-en-Provence stage, was the first to attack at about 60 kilometers from the finish.
Maxime Monfort (HTC-Columbia), Jure Kocjan (Camioro NGC), Alan Pérez Lezaun (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Dmytro Grabovskyy (ISD-Neri), Manuele Mori (Lampre-Farnese Vini), Roy Sentjens (Milram) and Frank Hoj (Team Saxo Bank) start the pursuit but the young rider of the French team manages to stay ahead for about 20 kilometers.

Dmytro Grabovskyy takes over from him for about 10 kilometers and in the climb of the Cipressa the favourite riders try to find a good spot at the front of the peloton. In the descent the Liquigas-Doimo team tears on the peloton, but finally it's Yoann Offredo (Française des Jeux) who attacks and at the foot of the last climb, the Poggio, he has a 18 seconds lead, but he can't resist to the comeback of the peloton (which is again split in two), led by Stefano Garzelli (Acqua & Sapone-Caffè Mokambo) and at 8 kilometers from the finish the adventure ends for him.

Several attacks follow with Michael Rogers (HTC-Columbia) who knew that his team mate Mark Cavendish wasn't capable of winning, followed by Philippe Gilbert (photo, Omega Pharma-Lotto), Filippo Pozzato (Team Katusha) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Doimo).

However, at the flamme rouge of the last kilometer, the first peloton is back together and the riders thus prepare for a final sprint. Oscar Freire is stronger than all the others and finishes the sprint at several bike lengths before Tom Boonen (Quick Step). Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini) takes the third place in the Milan-San Remo 2010 classification, ahead of Sacha Modolo (Colnago-CSF Inox) and Daniele Bennati (Liquigas-Doimo).

The video of the last kilometer

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Cycling general (except Tour de France) | Classics

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