Sky positions Boasson Hagen for San Remo win

Team Sky is preparing Edvald Boasson Hagen this week at Tirreno-Adriatico as its leader for Milan-San Remo. The British ProTour team has had a chance to test its tactics on the rolling stage finishes and, above all, face most of the San Remo rivals it will see next Saturday.

"Most of the teams and riders do this race because these stages [are similar] to the Milano-San Remo parcours," Sports Director Scott Sunderland told Cycling Weekly. "Just racing so hard at the end on these types of parcours is good for everyone, not just for Edvald, but for all the other guys."

"It is good to practice," said Boasson Hagen. "I am not riding for the classification here, just riding day-by-day to test myself."

Boasson Hagen, 22, debuted in San Remo last year, helping team-mate Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) win. Last Sunday, after Strade Bianche, he and the team reconnoitred the San Remo finale.

"We did the two last climbs, Cipressa and Poggio," he continued. "I did it last year, so I know it a bit. I know it, but not as good as all the other guys who have done it lots of times."

"There are a lot of teams who have been up there," Sunderland explained. "He was just having a look at it because some of the guys don't know it that well. Some of the guys who live in Monaco see it everyday almost."

Monaco residents include Philippe Gilbert (OmegaPharma-Lotto), Tom Boonen (Quick Step) and Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), all potential rivals of Boasson Hagen in eight day's time.

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