Milan-San Remo 2026

Milan-San Remo 2026 overview

Milan-San Remo information

Milan-San Remo is the first of cycling's five so-called Monuments of the season.

It take place on Saturday March 21 in 2026, with the long race route taking the riders from south of Milan to Genoa and then along the Mediterranean coast, and west toward France to end in San Remo.

The race is the longest of the Classics at almost 300km, and one of the few that are accessible for the sprinters. However, the two climbs in the finale - the Cipressa and Poggio - offer places to attack, creating a very balanced but hard race to win.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) put in a blistering surge over the summit of the Poggio and powered away for a solo victory in 2023, much like Matej Mohorič did in 2022, Jasper Stuyven in 2021 and Vincenzo Nibali in 2018. The last bunch sprint was won by Arnaud Démare in 2016.

In 2024 Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won a thrilling race, out-sprinting Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogačar after the attacks on the Cipressa and Poggio were controlled.

Pogačar again tried to blow up the race on the Cipressa in 2025 but could not stay away alone. Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) stayed with him over the Poggio and then the Dutchman won the sprint on the Via Roma.

MIlan-San Remo history

The idea of a race between Milan and the Ligurian holiday town of San Remo came about at a time when races were first being created across Europe.

The Unione Sportiva Sanremese created an amateur two-day event in 1906. Gazzetta dello Sport took on the organisation of it the next year for its first official edition as a professional race.

Lucien Petit-Breton won the first edition of the Milan-San Remo in 1907. Luigi Ganna gave Italy its first victory in 1909. After World War I, Costante Girardengo amassed six victories and 11 podium placings from 1917 to 1928.

Other greats to win the race include Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali, and Fausto Coppi. Tom Simpson was the first British Milan-San Remo winner in 1963 before Eddy Merckx began his era of domination, taking seven titles. Classics greats Roger De Vlaeminck, Sean Kelly, Laurent Jalabert, Andre Tchmil, and Fabian Cancellara as well as top sprinters like Erik Zabel, Oscar Freire, Mario Cipollini, and Mark Cavendish have all made their mark on the race.

The decisive climb of the Poggio was added in 1961 and the Cipressa in 1982, giving the race its current flavour and the perennial battle between the attackers and the sprinters.

Other changes to the route have been tried, often suggested but the fascination the current route makes Milan-San Remo "the easiest racer to finish but the hardest race to win."

Milan-San Remo records

Poggio climbing record: 5 minutes 40 seconds, Mathieu van der Poel 2023 Milan-San Remo

Most wins: Eddy Merckx - seven (1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1976)

Most recent multi-time winner: Oscar Freire (2004, 2007, 2010)

Most successful nation: Italy with 51 wins, with Belgium a distant second with 22

Youngest winner: Ugo Agostoni, 20, in 1914

Oldest winner: Andrei Tchmil, 36, in 1999

Fastest edition: 45.806 kph in 1990, won by Gianni Bugno