Milan-San Remo: Demare takes upset win

Arnaud Demare (FDJ) ended France’s long wait for monument when he took the crown in Milan-San Remo. The Frenchman won the sprint by half a bike length over Ben Swift (Team Sky) and Jurgen Roelandts (Lotto-Soudal), with a late crash spoiling the chances for several riders.

Demare also suffered a crash on the Cipressa, but re-joined the front of the race on the slopes of Poggio before taking the win, courtesy of a perfectly-timed sprint.

The day was marked by numerous wrecks, the most crucial coming when Etixx-Quickstep rider Fernando Gaviria touched wheels and fell in the final few hundred metres. He knocked world champion Peter Sagan (Tinkoff) off his line and the Tinkoff rider was unable to regain his momentum after almost 300 kilometres or racing.

The disrupted sprint was led out by Roelandts but Demare came past with a huge turn of speed to snatch the victory. He first made up ground to Roelandts, just as Nacer Bouhanni suffered a mechanical, before coming around the Lotto-Soudal rider. Swift tracked Demare all the way but was unable to overhaul the Frenchman.

“This is incredible. There are days like this one in which everything works despite the occasional hiccup, like crashing at the bottom of the Cipressa,” Demare said.

“I made it across at the bottom of the Poggio and the entire way I felt fantastic. I became the under-23 world champion in similar conditions after crashing. I'm delighted to win Milan-San Remo. This is a big one and has been running for over a century. It's extraordinary. I'm extremely happy."

An earlier break on the Cipressa came to nothing, and a large group started the final climb, the Poggio, together. There were few genuine attacks on the ascent with Michael Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) providing the first real threat and going clear with 6km to go.

Home favourite Vincenzo Nibali led a furious chase on the descent, and although the attacks continued, the small field came together with Kwiatkowski on the flat run-in after a huge turn from Fabian Cancellara. The Trek-Segafredo rider, competing in his final Classics campaign, was a marked man, with Matteo Trentin pinned to his wheel.

With just over 1,000 metres remaining Edvald Boasson Hagen (Dimension Data) surged clear but he, with Greg Van Avermaet on his wheel, was unable to hold off the chase.

Suddenly Gaviria appeared and although he had Sagan on his wheel the Colombian looked like the favourite for the sprint as the leaders rounded the final corner. A touch of wheel destroyed the neo-pro rider’s first Milan-San Remo and took Sagan out of contention as a bunch of riders, including Demare, not only regained contact with the head of the race, but surged for the line.

Nacer Bouhanni, the Frenchman most commentators, had been talked about in the build-up, was present. He and Demare were former FDJ teammates, but Bouhanni was denied the chance to sprint, suffering a cruel mechanical with the line in sight. It was of no consequence to Demare who hit the front of Milan-San Remo with a powerful sprint.

France’s wait for a winner of Milan-San Remo stretched back to 1995, while their last Monument came two year’s later in Lombardia. The wait is finally over. Demare has well and truly arrived.

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How it unfolded

Warm sunshine and pleasant spring temperatures greeted the peloton as it gathered outside Castello Sforzesco for the start of Milan-San Remo, a far cry from the dank conditions of recent years. There were brighter hues than usual on the roadside, too, as the familiar names of Pavia, Casteggio, Tortona and Novi Ligure trundled by on the long trek from Milan to the Riviera.

The race quickly settled into its traditional rhythm once the flag dropped. The typically intense start was followed by a respite of sorts once the day’s early break sallied clear on leaving Binasco, after 14 kilometres.

Gediminas Bagdonas (AG2R La Mondiale), Serghei Tvetcov (Giocattoli Androni-Sidermec), Mirco Maestri (Bardiani-CSF), Jan Barta (Bora-Argon 18), Adrian Hurek (CCC-Sprandi Polkowice), Roger Kluge (IAM Cycling), Matteo Bono (Lampre-Merida), Samuele Conti (Southeast-Venezuela), Maarten Tjallingii (LottoNL-Jumbo), Andrea Peron (Team Novo Nordisk) and Marco Coledan (Trek-Segafredo) quickly established a solid understanding, building a maximum lead of 10:35 after 50 kilometres, before Orica-GreenEdge and Tinkoff set about managing the deficit.

By that point, word had spread of a landslide on the coast road near Arenzano, with 130 kilometres remaining, but organisers RCS Sport moved swiftly to arrange an alteration to the route that allowed the race to circumvent the roadblock by switching onto the motorway for 9 kilometres.

Meanwhile, the escapees reached the top of the Turchino with a lead of 5 minutes over the bunch, where Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff) was doing the bulk of the heavy lifting. The speed ratcheted upwards on the motorway section, and the break’s gap continued to dwindle as they tackled the headlands of the Riviera.

By the first of the five capi, the Capo Mele, the gap was down to 2:18 and the increasing tension in the peloton was demonstrated by the nervous crashes, with Julien Vermote (Etixx-QuickStep) and Federico Zurlo (Lampre-Merida) among those to come down in separate incidents.

The advantage melted further on the Capo Cervo, dropping to 1:30, and it hovered at around the minute mark by the Capo Berta. The 11 escapees’ adventure would fizzle out soon afterwards ahead of the endgame on the Cipressa and the Poggio.

On the descent Marco Haller crashed, leaving Kristoff without a valuable piece of his armoury but Katusha continued to apply the pressure.

The fight for positioning saw another crash take place, this time with pre-race favourite Michael Matthews hitting the deck with Demare and Team Sky’s Peter Kennaugh. All looked lost for those involved, especially when Katusha continued with their work on the front but the chasers never gave up and used the Cipressa to pace themselves back into contention.

With 25km remaining the break was finally caught. Giovanni Visconti slipped clear halfway up the climb, dragging Ian Stannard with him. On the descent, the pair were joined by Daniel Oss, Matteo Montaguti, and Fabio Sabatini, the latter unwilling to work with Gaviria still in the main field. However, the 9km run into the Poggio always favoured the peloton and by the time the race hit the lower slopes Demare was back and the peloton had regrouped

Kristoff looked in control as his team set about the pace duties and although Kwiatkowski soared clear – partly to soften up the bunch but also to aim for his won success – there were enough favourites to neutralise the move.

From the descent to the line – the race had everything bar a predicted finish. Within less than a few seconds the favourite tag switched with almost violent inconsistency from Boassan Hagen to Van Avermaet, to Gaviria to Bouhanni. However, it was Demare who came out on top.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ6:54:45
2Ben Swift (GBr) Team SkyRow 1 - Cell 2
3Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 2 - Cell 2
4Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 3 - Cell 2
5Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing TeamRow 4 - Cell 2
6Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team KatushaRow 5 - Cell 2
7Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM CyclingRow 6 - Cell 2
8Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 7 - Cell 2
9Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 8 - Cell 2
10Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 9 - Cell 2
11Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro TeamRow 10 - Cell 2
12Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff TeamRow 11 - Cell 2
13Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La MondialeRow 12 - Cell 2
14Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 13 - Cell 2
15Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La MondialeRow 15 - Cell 2
17Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 16 - Cell 2
18Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJRow 17 - Cell 2
19Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 18 - Cell 2
20Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 19 - Cell 2
21Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 20 - Cell 2
22Andrea Fedi (Ita) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 21 - Cell 2
23Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18Row 22 - Cell 2
24Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 23 - Cell 2
25Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro TeamRow 24 - Cell 2
26Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension DataRow 25 - Cell 2
27Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 26 - Cell 2
28Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar TeamRow 27 - Cell 2
29Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 28 - Cell 2
30Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 29 - Cell 2
31Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-SegafredoRow 30 - Cell 2
32Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling0:00:08
33Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 32 - Cell 2
34Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto SoudalRow 33 - Cell 2
35Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto SoudalRow 34 - Cell 2
36Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 35 - Cell 2
37Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team KatushaRow 36 - Cell 2
38Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:00:11
39Vicente Reynes (Spa) IAM Cycling0:00:14
40Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky0:00:34
41Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale Pro Cycling0:00:36
42Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 41 - Cell 2
43Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 42 - Cell 2
44Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 43 - Cell 2
45Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar TeamRow 44 - Cell 2
46Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar TeamRow 45 - Cell 2
47Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM CyclingRow 46 - Cell 2
48Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM CyclingRow 47 - Cell 2
49Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team SkyRow 48 - Cell 2
50Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 49 - Cell 2
51Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 50 - Cell 2
52Davide Vigano (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 51 - Cell 2
53Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 52 - Cell 2
54Michael Morkov (Den) Team KatushaRow 53 - Cell 2
55Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 54 - Cell 2
56Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff TeamRow 55 - Cell 2
57Ian Stannard (GBr) Team SkyRow 56 - Cell 2
58Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 57 - Cell 2
59Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 58 - Cell 2
60Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky0:00:43
61Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:00:44
62Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 180:00:53
63Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ0:01:12
64Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin0:01:26
65Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team0:01:30
66Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team0:01:38
67Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 66 - Cell 2
68Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJRow 67 - Cell 2
69Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 68 - Cell 2
70Jan Barta (Cze) Bora-Argon 18Row 69 - Cell 2
71Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing TeamRow 70 - Cell 2
72Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 71 - Cell 2
73Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 72 - Cell 2
74Sven Erik Bystr¿m (Nor) Team KatushaRow 73 - Cell 2
75Simon Spilak (Slo) Team KatushaRow 74 - Cell 2
76Angel Vicioso (Spa) Team KatushaRow 75 - Cell 2
77Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension DataRow 76 - Cell 2
78Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 77 - Cell 2
79Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx - Quick-Step0:01:48
80Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 79 - Cell 2
81Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team0:01:53
82Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro TeamRow 81 - Cell 2
83Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 82 - Cell 2
84Elia Viviani (Ita) Team SkyRow 83 - Cell 2
85Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 84 - Cell 2
86Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJRow 85 - Cell 2
87Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 86 - Cell 2
88Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal0:01:59
89Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team0:02:43
90Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18Row 89 - Cell 2
91Luke Rowe (GBr) Team SkyRow 90 - Cell 2
92Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension DataRow 91 - Cell 2
93K_vin Reza (Fra) FDJ0:02:58
94David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk0:03:17
95Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge0:03:18
96Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team0:03:26
97Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 96 - Cell 2
98Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling0:03:29
99Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 98 - Cell 2
100Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 99 - Cell 2
101Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 100 - Cell 2
102Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 101 - Cell 2
103Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF0:03:31
104Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 103 - Cell 2
105Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Argon 180:04:13
106Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice0:04:25
107Eros Capecchi (Ita) Astana Pro TeamRow 106 - Cell 2
108Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 107 - Cell 2
109Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 108 - Cell 2
110Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension DataRow 109 - Cell 2
111Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-SegafredoRow 110 - Cell 2
112Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 111 - Cell 2
113Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team0:06:16
114Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits0:06:46
115Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 114 - Cell 2
116Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling0:07:01
117Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto SoudalRow 116 - Cell 2
118Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff TeamRow 117 - Cell 2
119Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo0:09:25
120Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 119 - Cell 2
121Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La MondialeRow 120 - Cell 2
122Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEdge0:10:16
123Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 122 - Cell 2
124Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 123 - Cell 2
125Victor de la Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice0:10:48
126Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal0:11:37
127Marco Haller (Aut) Team KatushaRow 126 - Cell 2
128Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 180:12:53
129Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18Row 128 - Cell 2
130Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 129 - Cell 2
131Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 130 - Cell 2
132Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 131 - Cell 2
133Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La MondialeRow 132 - Cell 2
134Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 133 - Cell 2
135Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto SoudalRow 134 - Cell 2
136Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing TeamRow 135 - Cell 2
137Julen Amezqueta (Spa) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 136 - Cell 2
138Gregor Muhlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18Row 137 - Cell 2
139Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension DataRow 138 - Cell 2
140Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing TeamRow 139 - Cell 2
141Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 140 - Cell 2
142Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 141 - Cell 2
143Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar TeamRow 142 - Cell 2
144Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 143 - Cell 2
145Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 144 - Cell 2
146Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 145 - Cell 2
147Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 146 - Cell 2
148Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 147 - Cell 2
149Mirko Tedeschi (Ita) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 148 - Cell 2
150Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale0:14:25
151Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo NordiskRow 150 - Cell 2
152Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 151 - Cell 2
153Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo NordiskRow 152 - Cell 2
154Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo NordiskRow 153 - Cell 2
155Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 154 - Cell 2
156Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La MondialeRow 155 - Cell 2
157Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 156 - Cell 2
158Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo NordiskRow 157 - Cell 2
159Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 158 - Cell 2
160Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo NordiskRow 159 - Cell 2
161Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM CyclingRow 160 - Cell 2
162Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo0:14:28
163Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJRow 162 - Cell 2
164Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 163 - Cell 2
165William Bonnet (Fra) FDJRow 164 - Cell 2
166Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto SoudalRow 165 - Cell 2
167Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 166 - Cell 2
168Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff TeamRow 167 - Cell 2
169Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team SkyRow 168 - Cell 2
170Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 169 - Cell 2
171Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 170 - Cell 2
172Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 171 - Cell 2
173Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice0:17:59
174Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data0:19:07
175Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek-SegafredoRow 174 - Cell 2
176Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi PolkowiceRow 175 - Cell 2
177Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 176 - Cell 2
178Samuele Conti (Ita) Southeast - Venezuela0:21:17
179Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Southeast - VenezuelaRow 178 - Cell 2
180Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale0:22:25
DNFFederico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 180 - Cell 2
DNFCarlos Betancur (Col) Movistar TeamRow 181 - Cell 2
DNFSam Bewley (NZl) Orica-GreenEdgeRow 182 - Cell 2
DNFNikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 183 - Cell 2
DNFAlbert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-AlpecinRow 184 - Cell 2
DNFSergey Lagutin (Rus) Team KatushaRow 185 - Cell 2
DNFJavier Megias (Spa) Team Novo NordiskRow 186 - Cell 2
DNFAndrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo NordiskRow 187 - Cell 2
DNFManuele Mori (Ita) Lampre - MeridaRow 188 - Cell 2
DNFJulien Vermote (Bel) Etixx - Quick-StepRow 189 - Cell 2
DNFSerge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension DataRow 190 - Cell 2
DNFDaniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff TeamRow 191 - Cell 2
DNFGiorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli - SidermecRow 192 - Cell 2
DNFNicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 193 - Cell 2
DNFStefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 194 - Cell 2
DNFSimon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro CyclingRow 195 - Cell 2
DNFJerome Cousin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 196 - Cell 2
DNFCyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions CreditsRow 197 - Cell 2
DNFNathan Haas (Aus) Dimension DataRow 198 - Cell 2
DNSMoreno Hofland (Ned) Team LottoNl-JumboRow 199 - Cell 2

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