Where: Northern Italy
When: Sat 18 March, 2023
Ranking: UCI WorldTour
Distance: 293km
One of the most exciting and prestigious races of the season, Milan-San Remo is the first Monument of the year.
Also known as 'La Primavera' due to its spring slot and also as one of the 'sprinters' classics' (the other being Paris-Tours), because of its fastman-friendly finish in San Remo's Via Roma.
The race starts in Milan in Lombardy, northern Italy, and heads down to the Mediterranean coast before turning west and heading along the coast to its San Remo finish.
Milan-San Remo is certainly deserving of its Monument tag, having been inaugurated in 1907, when it was won by Frenchman Lucien Petit-Breton. Since then it has been won by many of cycling's biggest stars, with Eddy Merckx having been the most prolific, with seven wins between 1966 and 1976. There have only been two British winners over the years – Mark Cavendish (2009) and Tom Simpson (1964); and two Australians – Simon Gerrans (2012) and Matt Goss (2011). The USA has yet to record a win, though Greg Lemond and Fred Rodriguez were both second in 1986 and 2002 respectively.
It's quite an open race, in that it can be won by a punchy climber, a bunch sprinter or even a great descender. It's difficult to predict, but the latter is a tactic that worked well for Vincenzo Nibali in 2018, and also Matej Mohorič last year, who used a dropper seatpost for an edge on that final downhill.
A women's version - Primavera Rosa - took place between 1999 to 2005, but was cancelled by the UCI in 2006. Organiser RCS announced last year that it would be bringing back the women's edition for 2023 – watch this space.
Official Milan-San Remo website
twitter: @milano_sanremo
Milan-San Remo: Recent winners
2022: Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious)
2021: Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
2020: Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
2019: Julian Alaphillipe (Fra) Deceuninck–Quick-Step
2018: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
2017: Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
2016: Arnaud Démare (Fra) FDJ
2015: John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin
2014: Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
2013: Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
2012: Simon Gerrans (Aus) GreenEdge
2011: Matt Goss (Aus) HTC-Highroad
2010: Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
2009: Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia-Highroad
2008: Fabian Cancellara (Sui) CSC
2007: Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
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