Three not out: The Spaniard was an expert at hiding in the pack and then sprinting to San Remo glory(Image credit: Sirotti)
The profile of the finale of the 2015 Milan-San Remo route(Image credit: RCS Sport)
The map of the 2015 Milan-San Remo route(Image credit: RCS Sport)
Eddy Merckx won Milan-San Remo seven times in Via Roma(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Milan-San Remo sprinters head to the finish in Via Roma(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Oscar Freire wins the 2007 Milan-San Remo in Via Roma (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) celebrates the win(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 2015 edition of Milan-San Remo will follow the traditional route, with just the Capi, the Cipressa and the Poggio climbs in the finale of the 293km race before the finish in Via Roma in the centre of San Remo.
RCS Sport published the route map and profile of the 293km route on Friday, confirming that no extra climb will be added to tip the race in the favour of the climbers, giving the likes of Mark Cavendish, John Degenkolb and 2014 winner Alexander Kristoff a chance of victory in 2015.
RCS Sport had toyed with the idea of making Milan-San Remo more open to the climbers and Grand Tour riders. The Pompeiana climb was included in the 2014 route but then removed at the last minute due to landslides. However RCS Sport was hit by a backlash of criticism by riders and fans who made it clear they preferred the finely balanced traditional race route.
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Via Roma will again host the likely sprint finish after a seven-year absence. Oscar Freire was the last winner on the slightly rising finishing straight in 2007 when he beat Allan Davis and Tom Boonen. Via Roma hosted the finish of Milan-San Remo between 1949 and 1985 and between 1994 and 2007.
The finish was moved to Piazzale Italo Calvino, overlooking the Mediterranean on 2008 due to technical problems and complaints from San Remo shop owners but was never popular with the riders or fans. The return to Via Roma means there are just two kilometres from the bottom of the Poggio descent and the finish line, giving any late attacker a slightly better chance of staying away.
The 2015 Milan-San Remo will be held on Sunday, March 22.
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
