Milan San Remo, March 21, 2026, 298 km monument

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What way will the race be won?


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Mar 4, 2011
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After all the hype and speculation, this will be the outcome:

  1. Magnier
  2. Brennan
  3. Philipsen
Even without Pog, a bunch sprint (which seems to be what you’re suggesting) has been an uncommon ending. Was Demare the last one to win in a full bunch sprint (I know Phillipsen won but that wasn’t a full bunch sprint?).
 
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Jun 4, 2009
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VLAB to take it one way or the other. Teams keep UAE in a good tight leash at the Cipressa and Wout does the Paris in Poggio. If he runs out of meters it's Brennan who will just slaughter them everybody who's still hanging around there.
 
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Jul 1, 2015
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It's good to have some changes from time to time! No monument route is constant every year.
Yeah, torches and fireworks make sense as celebration of Teddy's victory. Rick as Pogi's closet fan confirmed.
Given the way it's been raced lately and the kind of riders that excel at it, I'd appreciate for a change if they remove Cipressa and Poggio.
 
Jan 31, 2021
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Wind forecast no longer looking like tailwind in the finale. Significant rain unlikely.
 
May 10, 2015
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Wind forecast no longer looking like tailwind in the finale. Significant rain unlikely.

I mean there's barely gonna be any wind it seems. 3km/u, that's nothing. Weather models have a hard time predicting wind direction when it's super weak. Prediction will probably change 2 more times before Saturday afternoon. For what it's worth both European and American model already changed again to some sort of tailwind, but it won't be relevant at all.

Rain seems unlikely now tho indeed.
 
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Jan 10, 2019
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I think everyone from that first group uphill in the last stage of Tirreno can win this one. They all did Mathieu’s training that day.

He looks really strong again, maybe even better than last year at this point. Same feeling I have with Philipsen. Perfect combo for this race.
But I still think UAE will try the Cipressa plan again and hope for the best. If Del Toro is still with them I think Mathieu will put in a longer attack on the Poggio to drop him.

Ganna, Pidcock, Van Aert should be up there. Maybe someone like Lapeira. Normally it will be too hard for the young sprinters.

But we all know Giulio will free ride the big names on and after Cipressa and Nibali his way to victory.
 
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Mar 18, 2015
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Those final kms are among the most exciting of the season, though. And don't tell me there aren't lots of other races where nothing really happens until the final kilometres except a breakaway being slowly reeled in.

I don't get how people can complain about the route of the one race where you don't know if the guy winning all the other races will win, or if a sprinter will win, or anyone inbetween.

We need some large group sprints once in a while. We are well overdue one. The sprinters need to be able to believe they can also win, otherwise they'll just find something else to do on this particular Saturday in March. A bit like MVDP with Strade Bianche. Then the race loses what's so great about it.

"The sprinters need to be able to believe they can also win"

Yes, like I said, someone else has to win for a change. But they can't because they won't work together. And that's pro cycling in a nutshell.
 

canina82

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Feb 20, 2026
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The fear of Pogacar winning is worrying his haters. We are getting to the point some people think UAE should race with Del Toro as a co leader, even if months ago he was considered (by the same people who now hope Del Toro race as a co leader) as a rider who couldn't handle long races. Guess what, MSR is the longest race on the calendar with 300 km.

Regarding the race, I'm fancying Pidcock in this race, he seems a really good wildcard.
 
Feb 20, 2012
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The fear of Pogacar winning is worrying his haters. We are getting to the point some people think UAE should race with Del Toro as a co leader, even if months ago he was considered (by the same people who now hope Del Toro race as a co leader) as a rider who couldn't handle long races. Guess what, MSR is the longest race on the calendar with 300 km.

Regarding the race, I'm fancying Pidcock in this race, he seems a really good wildcard.
Milan Sanremo is literally the lowest energy output monument by far.
 
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Berniece

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The fear of Pogacar winning is worrying his haters. We are getting to the point some people think UAE should race with Del Toro as a co leader, even if months ago he was considered (by the same people who now hope Del Toro race as a co leader) as a rider who couldn't handle long races. Guess what, MSR is the longest race on the calendar with 300 km.

Regarding the race, I'm fancying Pidcock in this race, he seems a really good wildcard.
People are thinking about how Pogacar could actually win this against MVDP. Having a second target to focus on, would tire MVDP. But sure, just go ahead and try to go hard on Cipressa and Poggio again and see if you can drop MVDP. No tactics, just go fast. It's the only thing Pogacar can do anyway.
 
Jul 8, 2017
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People are thinking about how Pogacar could actually win this against MVDP. Having a second target to focus on, would tire MVDP. But sure, just go ahead and try to go hard on Cipressa and Poggio again and see if you can drop MVDP. No tactics, just go fast. It's the only thing Pogacar can do anyway.

What people don't seem to realise is that even if Pogacar does drop MVDP and goes solo on Cipressa, he still needs a couple of other factors to align for him.
For example, I do believe that having a large group within 30 seconds of Pogacar is possible (it would require all of them to climb Cipressa 9.25-ish, which I find likely). And if this group has 4-5-6 domestiques, what is he gonna do on the flat?
 
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Berniece

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What people don't seem to realise is that even if Pogacar does drop MVDP and goes solo on Cipressa, he still needs a couple of other factors to align for him.
For example, I do believe that having a large group within 30 seconds of Pogacar is possible (it would require all of them to climb Cipressa 9.25-ish, which I find likely). And if this group has 4-5-6 domestiques, what is he gonna do on the flat?
Pogacar is going to try and push through probably, but if you have the 9.25-ish target for the others. I can see Jorgenson, WVA, Brennan and Laporte make it.
 
Jul 8, 2017
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Pogacar is going to try and push through probably, but if you have the 9.25-ish target for the others. I can see Jorgenson, WVA, Brennan and Laporte make it.

And not just them, but domestiques from the other teams as well IMO.
Pogacar needs someone with for the flat or needs to go below 8.50, preferably close to 8.45 on Cipressa.
 
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Berniece

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And not just them, but domestiques from the other teams as well IMO.
Pogacar needs someone with for the flat or needs to go below 8.50, preferably close to 8.45 on Cipressa.
If he's launched properly, I can see him get to 8:45. But I can also see a lot of other riders do better than last year, and do better than you 9:25 target.