Kristoff wins Milan-San Remo
By Cycling News
Cancellara and Swift round out top three
Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) won the 105th Milan-San Remo taking the sprint ahead of Fabian Cancellara (Trek Factory Racing) and Ben Swift (Team Sky). He easily pulled away in the closing meters after a perfect leadout from his teammate Luca Paolini.
It was the biggest career win for Kristoff, who became the first Norwegian to win the race.
As expected, the race once again came down to a mass sprint, with most of the top names making it through to the end. However, Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) finished only fifth, last year's winner Gerald Ciolek (MTN Qhubeka) ninth, and heavy favourite Peter Sagan (Cannondale) only 10th in a rain-affected race that split and regrouped several times as the peloton tackled a more traditional looking edition of the race.
The top sprinters had all survived up until the foot of the final climb of the Poggio, at which point an attack from Vincenzo Nibali - who had attacked on the Cipressa - was neutralised. John Degenkolb unluckily punctured near the base of the climb but Team Sky, BMC and Belkin all attempted to split the field on the fast run-in to Sam Remo. It was Katusha who took control. Paolini powered to the front inside the final kilometre at a crucial moment when discipline and calmness were required.
Omega Pharma tried to position Cavendish on the right hand side and although he had enough power to overtake an fading Sacha Modolo, he was powerless to stop Kristoff from charging for the line in a sprint reminiscent of Oscar Friere's last win here in 2010.
Wet, wet, wet
The riders were served a taste of the conditions they would face during the race as they headed to the sign-in close to the Arco della Pace at the end of Corso Sempione. Showers and grey skies alternated in rapid frequency, with riders covered in rain jackets, leg warmers and gloves.
The riders rolled out from central Milan at 9:50 am as planned, with the official race start on the edge of the city in Via della Chiesa Rossa. With the 8.5km transfer and the 294km race route, the riders covered over 300km.
The roads and the Milan tram tracks were wet and slippery, with Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) crashing. He hurt his elbow and was forced to quit the race before it had officially begun.
The attacks came as soon as the flag as dropped, with Maarten Tjallingii (Belkin), Jan Barta (Netapp-Endura) the first to jump away. David Millar (Garmin-Sharp) was keen to get in the move in what is his final Milan-San Remo. However he was chased down and teammate Nathan Haas jumped across as a breakaway of seven riders formed.
The peloton was looking for a controlled race and let the magnificent seven go and they quickly gained a minute. The seven were Matteo Bono (Lampre Merida), Haas (Garmin-Sharp), Nicola Boem (Bardiani-CSF), Antonio Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli), Tjallingii (Belkin), Barta (NetApp-Endura) and Marc de Maar (UnitedHealthCare).
By the time the riders reached Pavia, after 35km, the break already had a gap of seven minutes. It reached 10 minutes after 45km but then the peloton began to react, with the first hour of the race covered at 47.7km/h.
Cannondale led the pursuit, with additional help from several other teams. However occasional rain showers dampened their enthusiasm and soaked the riders. A hailstorm also hit the race on the gradual slopes of the Passo Turchino, with temperatures falling to 5 degrees Celsius, but the gradual climb up from the Lombardy plain did little to change the race.
The break emerged from the 180m long Passo Turchino tunnel with a lead of eight minutes and a view of the Mediterranean offered hope of a dry finale. However it was not to be and spring had not yet arrived on the Italian Riviera. The rain returned as the riders headed west along the Aurelia coast road. Eating and drinking would be as vital as riding a tactically perfect race.
Peter Sagan stopped for a mechanical problem but was soon on his way and his Cannondale team continued to work on the front, with help from Orica-GreenEdge, Giant-Shimano and Trek Factory Racing.
As the riders reached the 175km point of the race, with still more than 100km to go, Boem struggled at the back of the break with cramp. All the seven breakaway riders were fatigued and wet after making a huge effort together, an effort of glory and sacrifice for their teammates rather than of personal ambition.
Before the second feed zone, at 70km to go, the break was reduced to just five riders. First Boem was dropped, then Haas sat up after an unfortunate puncture. After five hours of racing, much of it in the rain, the average speed was still above 42km/h. The gap between the breakaway and the peloton was down to 6:00 as the first capi climb, the Capo Mele, neared.
The gap was under three minutes as the peloton hit the Capo Berta, with the break down to only three riders. The rain let up as the Cipressa approached but the roads were still wet, and it had rained so heavily at the finish that the road was covered with several inches of water, a potentially dangerous situation which organizers hastened to clear away.
The hard conditions took their toll, as reports came through that Omega Pharma-QuickStep was starting to lose its sprint train, although Cavendish was still holding on.
On the Cipressa, Bono was the first to be dropped. Some 1:30 behind them, Cannondale led the way up, stringing out the field and with riders falling off the back with regularity. Nibali took off with 25km to go and quickly picked up a lead on the winding wet road. In no time he had caught and passed Bono.
As the road rose, the gap to the initial break continued to fall. The bad weather didn't seem to bother Nibali, who calmly made his way up to the two remaining leaders, catching and passing them with 20km left.
More and more riders tried to jump away from the chasing group, but Cannondale did their best to hold things together with Alessandro De Marchi providing Sagan with crucial support. Nibali built his lead up to 49 seconds with 15km to go, as Tjallingii tried unsuccessfully to follow.
Sky moved up to the front of the chase, riding for Edvald Boasson Hagen, and the gap had fallen to 20 seconds with 10km - and the Poggio - still to go. Nibali had started to fade and at the foot of the climb; he only held a 13-second advantage.
Lotto led the furious chase, catching the Astana rider on the ascent with 9km to go, but it was Trek's Fabian Cancellara who took off next with Gregory Rast, along with Enrico Battaglin of Bardiani going clear. There was a brief volley from Gilbert but he was unable to make an impression as up ahead as Rast and Battaglin tried to forge clear. They were caught near the top of the climb and it was Lars Petter Nordhaug (Belkin) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) who attempted to split the field on the treacherous descent.
Andre Greipel had lost contact on the climb but bravely fought back before the run-in to the line.
With 2km to go, many of the top names were still there as the mass sprint was set up. Katusha led the way to the 1km marker. Gilbert shot up the left hand side, and Cavendish put in his shot, but it was Kristoff who took the win with the Norwegian pulling away in the closing meters for a convincing win.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha | 6:55:56 |
2 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek Factory Racing | |
3 | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky | |
4 | Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team | |
5 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
6 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
7 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
8 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
9 | Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN - Qhubeka | |
10 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale | |
11 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Garmin Sharp | |
12 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky | |
13 | Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
14 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Garmin Sharp | |
15 | Lars Petter Nordhaug (Nor) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | |
16 | Yoann Offredo (Fra) Fdj.fr | |
17 | Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team | |
18 | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
19 | Grégory Rast (Swi) Trek Factory Racing | |
20 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
21 | Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) IAM Cycling | |
22 | Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
23 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
24 | André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol | |
25 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
26 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | 0:00:06 |
27 | Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin Sharp | 0:00:07 |
28 | Davide Appollonio (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:00:34 |
29 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Sky | |
30 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Lampre-Merida | 0:00:40 |
31 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:54 |
32 | Nicki Sörensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
33 | Luca Paolini (Ita) Team Katusha | 0:01:12 |
34 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) Fdj.fr | 0:01:22 |
35 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Belisol | |
36 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
37 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | 0:01:33 |
38 | Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | 0:01:35 |
39 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:01:54 |
40 | Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:02:09 |
41 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | 0:02:38 |
42 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol | |
43 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | 0:03:14 |
44 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | 0:03:15 |
45 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
46 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Cannondale | |
47 | Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | 0:03:22 |
48 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | 0:03:36 |
49 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica GreenEdge | 0:03:50 |
50 | Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) MTN - Qhubeka | 0:04:10 |
51 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | |
52 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek Factory Racing | 0:05:08 |
53 | Marc Demaar (Ned) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
54 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano | |
55 | Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin Sharp | 0:05:23 |
56 | Thor Hushovd (Nor) BMC Racing Team | 0:05:29 |
57 | Robert Förster (Ger) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
58 | Dayer Uberney Quintana Rojas (Col) Movistar Team | |
59 | Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
60 | Mickael Delage (Fra) Fdj.fr | 0:05:34 |
61 | Marco Marcato (Ita) Cannondale | 0:06:03 |
62 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) Cannondale | 0:06:06 |
63 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:06:20 |
64 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | 0:06:23 |
65 | Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Sky | |
66 | Diego Rosa (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
67 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Team Netapp - Endura | |
68 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling | |
69 | Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
70 | Hayden Roulston (NZl) Trek Factory Racing | |
71 | Nicolas Roche (Irl) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
72 | Sébastien Hinault (Fra) IAM Cycling | 0:07:49 |
73 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Giant-Shimano | |
74 | Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team | 0:07:51 |
75 | Aliaksandr Kuchynski (Blr) Team Katusha | 0:10:04 |
76 | Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha | |
77 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
78 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
79 | Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
80 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
81 | Robert Wagner (Ger) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | |
82 | Johan Le Bon (Fra) Fdj.fr | |
83 | Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Lampre-Merida | |
84 | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | |
85 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Fdj.fr | |
86 | Dries Devenyns (Bel) Team Giant-Shimano | |
87 | Bob Jungels (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
88 | Jaco Venter (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
89 | Svein Tuft (Can) Orica GreenEdge | |
90 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | 0:11:42 |
91 | Jan Barta (Cze) Team Netapp - Endura | |
92 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol | |
93 | Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling | |
94 | Luke Durbridge (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
95 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
96 | Alessandro Bazzana (Ita) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
97 | Marco Coledan (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
98 | Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin Sharp | |
99 | Karsten Kroon (Ned) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
100 | Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
101 | David Boucher (Fra) Fdj.fr | 0:14:33 |
102 | Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team Netapp - Endura | |
103 | Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Movistar Team | |
104 | Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
105 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Garmin Sharp | 0:17:59 |
106 | Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Androni Giocattoli | |
107 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
108 | Rick Flens (Ned) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | |
109 | Christopher Jones (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
110 | Rafael Andriato (Bra) Yellow Fluo | |
111 | Laurent Didier (Lux) Trek Factory Racing | |
112 | Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
113 | Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek Factory Racing | |
114 | Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Daniel Teklehaimanot (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
DNF | Steve Chainel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
DNF | Omar Bertazzo (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Antonio Parrinello (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Gianfranco Zilioli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
DNF | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Andrea Guardini (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Pro Team | |
DNF | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Marco Canola (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Filippo Fortin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
DNF | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Belkin-Pro Cycling Team | |
DNF | Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Peter Velits (Svk) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
DNF | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Cannondale | |
DNF | Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Cannondale | |
DNF | William Bonnet (Fra) Fdj.fr | |
DNF | Arthur Vichot (Fra) Fdj.fr | |
DNF | Nathan Haas (Aus) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | David Millar (GBr) Garmin Sharp | |
DNF | Stefan Denifl (Aut) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Matteo Pelucchi (Ita) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) IAM Cycling | |
DNF | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Luca Wackermann (Ita) Lampre-Merida | |
DNF | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol | |
DNF | Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team | |
DNF | Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team | |
DNF | Brett Lancaster (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Mathew Hayman (Aus) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge | |
DNF | Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Vincent Jerome (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Bryan Naulleau (Fra) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Bjorn Thurau (Ger) Team Europcar | |
DNF | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Shimano | |
DNF | Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Team Katusha | |
DNF | Iker Camano Ortuzar (Spa) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | David De La Cruz Melgarejo (Spa) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Zakkari Dempster (Aus) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Erick Rowsell (GBr) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Paul Voss (Ger) Team Netapp - Endura | |
DNF | Dario Cataldo (Ita) Team Sky | |
DNF | Christian Knees (Ger) Team Sky | |
DNF | Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Team Sky | |
DNF | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky | |
DNF | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Michael Morkov (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
DNF | Lucas Euser (USA) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
DNF | Davide Frattini (Ita) Unitedhealthcare Professional Cycling Team | |
DNF | Daniele Colli (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Francesco Failli (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Simone Ponzi (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Matteo Rabottini (Ita) Yellow Fluo | |
DNF | Fabio Taborre (Ita) Yellow Fluo |
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