Spring in August
This 2020 season will be remembered, for better or for worse, as the COVID-19 crisis will leave us with many unthinkable images, as Milano-Sanremo dispute on Saturday August 8 will undoubtedly be. Also known as La Classicissima, Milano-Sanremo is usually held on the last weekend of March, and hence another of its names is La Primavera (spring in italian). It is the first of 5 cycling monuments to be contested annually, and will open 2020 Men's monuments combined classification in Cycling Fantasy.
On the other hand, the change of dates due to the world pandemic crisis has also forced to alter the route, since some of the municipalities where it usually circulates have refused to open their streets to the race to avoid a negative impact on tourism, that energizes the area in summer. The result, an even tougher Classicissima, with more positive gradient and a length that reaches 299 kilometers. However, the last 20 kilometers do follow the original route, with the mythical climbs to Cipressa and Poggio di Sanremo, which have been key in solving the race in recent years.
Milano-Sanremo has usually been known as the sprinter’s monument, as it is best suited to the characteristics of fast men. In the past 3 years, however, it seems punchers and climbers have seen a way to narrow the group with attacks in the last two climbs, with victories for Michal Kwiatkowski (1200) in 2017, by Vincenzo Nibali (1000) in 2018 and Julian Alaphillipe (1200) in 2019.
Thus, among the favorites we will have to count both sprinters such as Peter Sagan (1200), Matteo Trentin (1200), Elia Viviani (1200), Caleb Ewan (1200), Michael Matthews (1200), Alexander Kristoff (1000), Fernado Gaviria (1200) or Sonny Colbrelli (1000), but also climbers and classics riders such as Julian Alaphillipe (1200), Vincenzo Nibali (1000), Michal Kwiatkowski (1200), Greg Van Avermaet (1200), Tiesj Benoot (800 ), Giulio Ciccone (800), Oliver Naesen (1000), Wout Van Aert (800), Mathieu Van der Poel (400), Tadej Pogacar (1000), Davide Formolo (800), Alejandro Valverde (1200) or Warren Barguil (400). The cast on the startlist is anthological.
And last but not least, special mention to Philippe Gilbert (1000), who only lacks a Milano-Sanremo to complete the feat of winning the 5 monuments and definitely becoming a living legend of our sport.