Race History: Milano-Sanremo is the first big one-day meeting of the stars. We’ve had the amuse-bouche of the ‘Opening Flemish Weekend’ but the main course starts here. Ed Hood had a run through the Milano-Sanremo history a few years ago, to whet your appetite for Saturday’s big day in Italy.
In January we lost our friend and colleague Ed Hood, two years after his devastating stroke. We will never forget Ed and his knowledge, connections in the cycling world, his writing style and love for the sport. Ed wrote thousands of stunning articles for PEZ, so we will pay homage the ‘King of the Blackberry’ with re-runs of his great work.
And a big thank you to everyone who contributed to Ed’s ‘Go Fund Me’. It made a difference to his last two years.
You can read the PEZ-Crew’s memories of Ed Hood HERE.
# You can see the PEZ ‘Milano-Sanremo’25 Preview’ HERE. #
A long day in the saddle from Milano
Milano-Sanremo, what’s all the fuss about?
If I may start my annual preview and tribute to the world’s greatest single day race by borrowing from the race website and go back to: 3rd April 1910.
Time of wolves and virtue of lions – A blizzard of snow, rain and wind wreak havoc among the competitors
Milano-Sanremo, the first monument classic of the season, has been the opener of the springtime cycling season worldwide since forever. More than once, however, winter had not left yet. So did it in 1910, which was remembered as one of the toughest editions in history. Sixty-three riders kicked off from Milan under a laden sky, way before the sunrise. It started to rain in Pavia, then the rain turned to hail in Tortona, and eventually it turned to snow as the peloton was negotiating the Passo del Turchino, heading for Ovada. Legend has it that Cyrille Van Houwaert – who at that time was leading the race, solo – came across a couple of skiers along the pass. It makes you wonder whether he or the two of them were the most shocked. Along the descent, Van Houwaert – nearly frozen to death – decided to call it a day. He sought refuge in a house and withdrew from the race. Eugène Christophe, too, took shelter in a hotel after clearing the descent, only to continue racing after he saw four riders zip by, through the window. He caught and dropped them all, soloing into Sanremo 12 hours and 24 minutes after setting off from Milan. Giovanni Cocchi, the runner-up, came through after 1 hour and one minute, and Giovanni Marchese took third place 1 hour and 17 minutes later. Only four riders out 63 arrived at the finish in what might be termed the toughest ‘Classicissima’ ever.
And that, fellow race fans is why it’s a ‘Monument’ and ‘the Classic of all Classics.’
‘Disastrous’
Yeah, but it’s a lottery, isn’t it?
If I may quote the words of the race, ‘recordman’ a certain Baron Edouard Louis Joseph (Eddy) Merckx; ‘have you ever heard of someone winning the lottery seven times?’
World champion, Eddy Merckx – Sanremo’75
But there have been some dodgy winners – Ciolek for one, Colombo for another. . .
Gerald Ciolek, former World U23 and German Professional Champion – a race where he out-kicked Robert Forster and Erik Zabel, two of the fastest men around at the time – had strong form in the spring of 2013; he was ‘up there’ in Laigueglia, just outside the top 10 at Het Nieuwsblad, a stage winner in the Three Days of West Flanders and had two top four stage placings in Tirreno, his win was no surprise to PEZ, he was tipped in our race preview.
Gerald Ciolek – Not really a surprise
Gabrielle Colombo – the biggest loser that day was Max Sciandri, the Primavera a race he coveted above all others, I interviewed Max a few years ago, I put it to him that Colombo never really won much before or since; ‘That’s true but he was a classy rider, he liked to party though – the good life you know?’
Gabrielle Colombo – Cough
The fact is that only the best of the best or a rider enjoying a deep purple patch can win this race.
What about preparatory races, don’t they say Tirreno-Adriatico is best, rather than Paris-Nice?
That used to be the conventional wisdom but Paris-Nice and Tirreno run concurrently, finishing on the Sunday prior to the Primavera, in line with the UCi wishing for WorldTour stage races to finish on a Sunday.
Pogačar didn’t ride Tirreno in 2025
It used to be the case that Tirreno ran until the Tuesday and the timing for peaking for the following Saturday was adjudged to be more favourable.
Milano-Torino on Wednesday probably isn’t important for Sanremo
Milano-Torino – one of the oldest bike races in the world – falls on the Wednesday between the stage races finishing and the Primavera, but Saturday’s faves are noticeable by their absence from Milano-Torino.
1957 Milano-Sanremo
# Stay PEZ for the 2025 Milano-Sanremo ‘Race Report’ with the best photos on Saturday, soon after the finish. #
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