Two common features of the race, Boonen and the Poggio(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Philippe Gilbert and Filippo Pozzato battle it out in 2010(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Eddy Merckx was only a spectator in 1986(Image credit: Sirotti)
Sean Kelly wins the 1986 Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Sirotti)
Italian champion Bruno Leali awaits the start of the 1988 edition of Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Sirotti)
Laurent Fignon has just won his first Milan-San Remo in 1988.(Image credit: Sirotti)
Only 'Cipo' could pull off riding a rainbow bike(Image credit: AFP)
Raymond Poulidor was 52nd at the 1962 edition of the race(Image credit: AFP)
The fog and mist of Italy's coast(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Fabian Cancellara has won San Remo just once, in 2008(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Pozzato and Cipollini in 2006(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
2007 Milan-San Remo podium of Allan Davis (2nd), Oscar Freire (1st) and Tom Boonen (3rd)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Frank Schleck makes an attack during 97th edition(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Quick Step-Innergetic teammates Pozzatto and Boonen celebrate the Italian's win in 2006(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2005 champion Alessandro Petacchi with Danilo Hondo and Thor Hushovd(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 'Lion King' Mario Cipollini wins in 2002(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2004 podium of Stuart O'Grady, Oscar Freire and Erik Zabel(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Erik Zabel celebrates his 2001 San Remo victory(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matt Goss (HTC) claims the biggest win of his career(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matt Goss beats Fabian Cancellara and Philippe Gilbert in 2011(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Riders were forced to contend with horrible weather during the 2013 edition of Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Riders enjoyed a brief respite from the cold in team buses(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A rainbow makes a brief appearance during the snowstorm(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2013 San Remo podium (L-R): Peter Sagan, Gerald Ciolek and Fabian Cancellara(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The dissapointment was evident on the faces of Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 2012 Milan-San Remo podium of Fabian Cancellara, Simon Gerrans and Vincenzo Nibali(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Matt Goss became the first Australian to win Milan-San Remo in 2011(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) rode a tactical race to win in 2012(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The winning break of Fabian Cancellara, Simon Gerrans and Vincenzo Nibali in 2012 get close the camera(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The 1954 peloton rolls out of Milan (Image credit: AFP)
The riders climb the Poggio in 1985(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Hennie Kuiper on the podium in 1985(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Greg LeMond in the shadows of the Milan Duomo before the start of the 1988 race(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Denmark's Rolf Sørensen and some Ariostea teammates before the start in 1988 (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Sean Kelly before the start (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
The 1988 peloton on the flat roads of the Lombardy plain (Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
A crash on the finish line took out Laurent Jalabert as Erik Zabel won the sprint ahead of Alberto Elli(Image credit: AFP)
Hennie Kuiper wins alone in 1985(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Laurent Fignon on the winner's podium(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Andrei Tchmil wins with a late attack in 1999(Image credit: AFP)
Fausto Coppi won Milan-San Remo in 1946, 1948 and 1949(Image credit: AFP)
Oscar Freire took his third victory in 2010(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fabian Cancellara won with a lone, late attack in 2008(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Oscar Freire beats Erik Zabel with a late lunge at the line in 2004(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Claudio Chiappucci wins alone in 1991(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Moreno Argentin and then world champion Maurizio Fondriest shake hands before the start of a wet 1989 Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Laurent Fignon wins his second consecutive Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Maurizio Fondriest wins alone in 1993(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Fondriest accepts defeat after Laurent Jalabert outsprints him in 1995(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Paolo Bettini wins Milan-San Remo in 2003, defeating Mirko Celestino(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Positioning on the descents of the Cipressa and Poggio is vital(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
2009 MIlan-San Remo podium (L-R): Heinrich Haussler, 2nd; Mark Cavendish, 1st; Thor Hushovd, 3rd(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Mark Cavendish beat Heinrich Haussler on the line(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Haussler went early but Cavendish surged up to him(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Filippo Pozzato holds off the sprinters in the Via Roma to win in 2006(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Sean Kelly beats Moreno Argentin to win in 1992(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Milan-San Remo podium: Tom Boonen (Quick Step), Oscar Freire (Rabobank) and Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-Farnese Vini)(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
No time to enjoy the scenery for the Milan-San Remo peloton(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Paolo Bettini attacked on the Cipressa dragging Lövkvist with him.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Julian Alaphilippe celebrates his victory last year(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Milan-San Remo is the first of the five so-called 'Monuments,' or great Classics of the season and always produces some of the most iconic photographs. This year's race, originally set to be run this past weekend, would've been the 111th edition.
We've trawled our photographers' archives to find some of the best shots from memorable editions of La Classicissima and revisited more recent victories by the likes of Fabian Cancellara, Mark Cavendish and Óscar Freire and last year's race won by Julian Alaphilippe.
Milan-San Remo is often dominated by the sprinters but lone victories also stand out in the long list of prestigious winners.
The late Laurent Fignon won back-to-back editions of the race in 1988 and 1989, the second coming after dropping Dutchman Frans Maassen on the descent of the Poggio. Claudio Chiappucci's lone victory in 1991 is also a classic after he was part of an attack that formed on the Turchino, 150km from the finish.
Erik Zabel was nicknamed 'Mr San Remo' during his career because he won it four times on the legendary Via Roma finish. He also finished second on two occasions and in 2004 was beaten by Óscar Freire after raising his arms in celebration before crossing the line.
Fabian Cancellara was the last rider to win alone after accelerating away after the descent of the Poggio, while Mark Cavendish produced one of the greatest sprints ever seen at Milan-San Remo to win in 2009.
In 2010 Oscar Freire won his third Milan-San Remo with a perfect sprint that distanced Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi and was followed by two Australian wins as first Matt Goss and then Simon Gerrans tasted victory.
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The 2017 finish, closely contested by Michał Kwiatkowski, Peter Sagan and Julian Alaphilippe, is one of the more iconic images of the past few years.
Enjoy the photo gallery by clicking or swiping through the images above and relive some of the most memorable images of the sport.
Stephen is one of the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
