The season's first Monument is set to get underway this weekend at Milan-San Remo, with the biggest names in cycling expected to line up and battle it out for the coveted title.
Taking place on Saturday 19 March, 'La Classicissima' will cover 293km between the city of Milan and San Remo on the Mediterranean coast in what is comfortably the longest professional one-day race in modern cycling. Famous for its views across the coastline, Milan-San Remo is one of the sport's most prestigious races and largely considered a race for sprinters.
The world's best will all compete for the first of five Monuments this season, with plenty of former winners all on the start list, including last year's victor Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo). With all things considered though, who are the bookies' favourites to win the 2022 edition of Milan-San Remo?
Oddscheckershows Wout van Aert as the favourite to win Milan-San Remo, unsurprising considering the formidable form he has displayed already this season. The Belgian became the Paris-Nice points classification winner last weekend, aided by his stage four time trial victory, and he also produced a stunning ride at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad to win his first Classic of the season.
Van Aert's experience of winning Milan-San Remo in 2020 also gives reason as to why his best price is at 4/1, placing him as firm favourite for Saturday's race.
At 9/2, Caleb Ewan is the second-favourite rider for Milan-San Remo glory. The diminutive Australian has twice finished second at the Italian Monument, and will no doubt be desperate to go one better in 2022.
Ewan is in fine form too, having finished second at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne before his stage three win at Tirreno-Adriatico highlighted his sprinting ability. He subsequently pulled out of the remaining stages to focus on Milan-San Remo.
It would be remiss of bookmakers not to offer shortened odds for Tadej Pogačar, who is priced at 6/1. The Slovenian phenomenon has already won the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico and Strade Bianche this year, and there is simply no race he isn't capable of winning. Milan-San Remo is no different.
Julian Alaphilippe, Mads Pedersen and Sonny Colbrelli all have outside shots at the title this year, with respective odds of 14/1, 20/1 and 22/1, but results will depend on how well their team tactics perform on the day. Pedersen is the only rider of the trio to have tasted success so far this season, but all three are more than capable to take the line first on their day.
Jasper Philipsen is an exciting talent who has the potential to outsprint the rest of the field, and with odds of 25/1 he could certainly be worth a punt. Meanwhile, his Alpecin-Fenix team-mate Mathieu van der Poel's 33/1 odds owe to his lack of race starts this season.
Time trial world champion Filippo Ganna has an outside chance of winning the race, reflected in his 33/1 odds, while team-mate Tom Pidcock sits slightly higher at 25/1 odds. Last year's winner Jasper Stuyven isn't among the top-10 favourites on Oddschecker, his price high at 40/1 despite performing consistently through Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Paris-Nice.
MILAN-SAN REMO 2022 ODDS (WINNER - ODDSCHECKER)
Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma @ 4/1
Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal @ 9/2
Tadej Pogačar (Svn) UAE Team Emirates @ 6/1
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl @ 14/1
Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo @ 20/1
Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Victorious @ 22/1
Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix @ 25/1
Tom Pidcock (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers @ 25/1
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix @ 33/1
Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers @ 33/1
All odds correct at the time of publication
