The second edition of the Italian ‘Monument’
taught us plenty as we move further into Classics season.
Two editions of the Milan-San Remo Donne, two very different – but equally thrilling – bike races. If you haven’t already seen how Saturday’s race unfolded, be sure to check out Abby Mickey’s terrific breakdown of the race and why the victory was so significant for Lotte Kopecky.
Now, as the Women’s WorldTour leaves Italy behind – but before all the attention turns toward Belgium – let’s take one final look at the second edition of Milan-San Remo Donne, the moments and performances that mattered, and what it all means going forward.
We’re getting a clearer idea of what this race can be
The men’s Milan-San Remo has been around since 1907, which means we have a pretty good idea of how that race can be won. The women’s race though: that’s a much newer thing. Even if you count the Primavera Rosa – the precursor to Milan-San Remo Donne, run from 1999 to 2005 – we’ve only got a handful of editions with which to paint a picture of what this race actually is.
Last year’s edition suggested a race where a late attack after the climbs could be effective, but where, ultimately, the sprinters are probably more favoured than anyone else. On Saturday, we saw a rather different finale.
For starters, there were actually attacks on the Cipressa this year – a stark difference to last year’s edition where the penultimate climb was just ridden at high tempo. This time there were at least seven attacks on the Cipressa, with a couple of very threatening moves emerging as well (more on that in a moment).
And then, it was on the Poggio that the race was really decided. Unlike last year, where many unsuccessful attacks were launched, this year’s visit to the Poggio saw a group get away and stay away all the way to the line.
Saturday’s finish didn’t just make for an exciting finale, it also threw the door open for exciting racing in future editions. We’ve now seen that the race can be won in a variety of different ways, and that sets things up for more dynamic and aggressive racing in the years to come.
A bunch of top riders missed a golden opportunity
With 24.6 km to go, partway up the Cipressa, a moment unfolded that a handful of riders have probably been thinking about since.
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