Former Milan-San Remo champion Arnaud Démare says ‘he will win it again’ as he looks ahead to the 2019 edition.
The Frenchman, who won on the Via Roma in 2016, returns to the Italian Monument on Saturday (March 23) to repeat that glory.
Démare is confident he can win again, which would earn him a spot in an elite club of double winners.
The Groupama-FDJ rider said: “It is a race that is in my line of expertise.
“I’ve already won it, got a podium and finished sixth.
“I know it is a race I’m never far from winning and someday I will win again for sure.”
>>> Who are the bookies’ favourites to win Milan-San Remo 2019?
He added: “It is a race where you give everything you have, where you reach the end of your limits.
“Every race is great to win but this one has something special.”
Only seven riders have won Milan-San Remo twice, most famous among them Sean Kelly and Laurent Fignon.
The great Eddy Merckx has most wins with seven.
Démare won in a bunch sprint in 2016 after a hectic final kilometre.
A crash at the front of the peloton in the final split the riders down the middle, with Démare weaving across the road to beat Ben Swift and Jürgen Roelandts.
Ahead of the 2019 race, Démare said: “I am just back from Paris-Nice where, even if I did not win, I gained a bit of condition and confidence.
“I love everything about [Milan-San Remo].
“This day has something mythical. It’s part of our sport’s history. “
>>> Luke Rowe: ‘It’s time to step up and try to deliver a Classics result, it’s as simple as that’
Grouapama-FDJ line-up for Milan-San Remo 2019
Arnaud Démare (Fra)
Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita)
Ignatas Konovalovas (Lit)
Stefan Küng (SUI)
Matthieu Ladagnous (FR)
Olivier Le Gac (FR)
Anthony Roux (FR)
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