Milan - San Remo

Where: Northern Italy

When: Sat 18 March, 2023

Ranking: UCI WorldTour

Distance: 293km

Key info: Route and start list | How to watch

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.

This year's race sees the start move out of its usual city-centre location to the town of Abbiategrasso, 22km south-west of Milan. The riders will join the standard route 30km into the race on their way south to the coast, and the event will retain its Milan-San Remo moniker.

It the first Monument of the season, and certainly deserving of that tag. It was 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, Eddy Merckx being the most prolific with seven wins between 1966 and 1976. 

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 – the 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