Gerald Ciolek (MTN - Qhubeka) takes the biggest win of his career in Milan-San Remo(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The profile of the new Pompeiana climb in the 2014 Milan-San Remo route(Image credit: RCS Sport)
The profile of the 2014 Milan-San Remo race route (Image credit: RCS Sport)
Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux) had a go last year on the Poggio with Riccardo Riccò (Saunier Duval-Scott), but the duo were caught at 1200 metres remaining(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Descending the Poggio in a long line(Image credit: Fotoreporter Sirotti)
Sagan, Ciolek and Cancellara on the Milan-San Remo podium(Image credit: Sirotti)
RCS Sport, the organisers of the Milan-San Remo one day Classic, has announced that the 2014 edition of the race will have a new finale, with the removal of mid-race Le Manie climb and the addition of the Pompeiana climb between the Cipressa and Poggio intensifying the climbing in the final 40km of the first cycling Monuments of the year.
The 105th edition of the race will be held on Sunday March 23 and as a result of the changes, the race will cover a total distance of 299km, with the finish again on the Lungomare Calvino on the Sanremo seafront.
The Manie climb came after 200km of racing and often caused a split in the peloton. However, the insertion of the five-kilometre long Pompeiana climb will give aggressive riders, rather than the sprinters, a better chance of victory, tipping the balance of the first major Classic of the season.
The Pompeiana climb begins 3.5km after the descent of the Cipressa. The climb has an average gradient of 5% and a maximum of 14%. The climb begins steadily at 6-7% before narrowing slightly. It then flattens and kicks with a very hard 500m section consisting of a pair left/right bends with a gradient between 10-14%. A gradual slope follows on with a narrow road up to top of the climb, 20.7km from the finish.
The twisty technical descent begins in the village of Castellaro and takes the riders down to Arma di Taggia where the route re-joins the Aurelia and the historical race route. From here, there is just 4.4km of racing before the start of the Poggio climb.
Germany's Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhubeka) won the 2013 edition of Milan-San Remo after surviving a snow storm in the early part of the race. Due to the terrible conditions, the race was stopped at the foot of the early Turchino climb and bused to the coast, where the race restarted in the rain.
RCS Sport also announced that a mass participation sportif event called La Sanremo that starts and finishes in the Italian holiday resort. The event will re-trace much of the finale of the Milan-San Remo route before finishing at the same point as the race. Entries and more information can be found at www.lasanremo.it from October 24. Entries open on October 31.
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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).
