Niccolò Bonifazio warns amateur riders not to imitate his daredevil Milan-San Remo descent
The Italian pro says he is worried people will copy his attack on open roads

Niccolò Bonifazio has warned amateurs not to copy his Milan-San Remo descent (Photo: Yuzuru SUNADA)
Niccolò Bonifazio has warned amateur riders not to recreate his daredevil Milan-San Remo descent.
The Italian said people should not risk their lives by “launching themselves from the Cipressa” on open roads while chasing the Strava King of the Mountain.
Bonifazio (Direct Energie) unleashed a nail-biting descent from the penultimate climb during the Monument on Saturday (March 23), tucking himself into his handlebars and pushing to very edge.
>>> Julian Alaphilippe knocks Alejandro Valverde off top spot of UCI World Ranking
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 26), the 25-year-old said: “After a couple of days and with a cool head, seeing how [the attack] moved people on the web I’m relatively worried.
“I know of people who launch themselves from the Cipressa in training to try to imitate.
“I remind these geniuses that the road is open, do not risk your life for such nonsense.”
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Bonifazio said he did not upload the ride data to Strava in case it encouraged others to copy his descending.
He added that despite taking those risks on a closed road, he still did not beat the KoM.
Bonifazio added: “Before you try to beat the time or do anything stupid, realise the risks that these actions carry.”
His huge attack in the tight and winding descent gave Bonifazio a 20-second advantage on the approach to the day’s final climb, the Poggio.
But he was unable to escape the driving peloton, being caught again before the start of the climb.
>>> Strava stats show just what it takes to compete in finale of Milan-San Remo
Bonifazio told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport that he hit 85km/h on the straight sections of the descent, barely touching the brakes on the way down.
The sprinter’s attack was fruitless however, as he finished 131st on the Via Roma.
Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe won the first Monument of the season, after tearing the race apart on the Poggio.
The Frenchman then beat an elite group of 10 in a sprint for the line.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.