Like its lead-in race, Tirreno-Adriatico, the first Monument of the season returned to its usual place in the calendar for 2021, meaning the 112th edition of Milan-San Remo came just seven months after its 111th.
The 2021 Milan-San Remo was held on Saturday, March 17, running a mammoth 299 kilometres from the Piazza Castello in the centre of Milan to the Via Roma in San Remo.
In an electrifying finish after the climb and descent of the Poggio, Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) attached 2km from the finish to win against the pre-race favourites Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Closing in near the line was sprinter Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), who took second just ahead of Van Aert. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) rolled in fourth, while Van der Poel settled for fifth, and Alaphilippe was 16th.
“I felt good, really good, all day and the finale was going well. I was there on the Poggio but there were a lot of fast guys up there, so I knew I had to try all or nothing. I did, went all-in and took the biggest win of my career,” said Stuyven after the race.
After last year's inland detour following protests from the mayors of towns lining the Ligurian coast, the 2021 edition of Milan-San Remo follows a largely traditional route.
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The long, and frankly not too exciting, flat opening 140 kilometres remain in place, though instead of the landslide-affected Turchino, the first obstacle of the day will instead be the Colle de Giovo, a largely similar climb in profile.
After the descent to Savona, the route returns to the tried-and-tested formula, taking in the coastal roads east en route to the three capi climbs – Mele, Cervo, and Berta – before the riders hit the all-important Cipressa (22km from the line) and Poggio (5.5km out) before the quick and technical descent into San Remo for the finish.
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