View source for Milan-San Remo

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! colspan=2 |'''Milano-San Remo'''
|-
|Region  ||  {{flagiconItaly}} North West [[Italy]]  
|-
|Date  ||  Late March  
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|Type  ||  One-day race  
|-
|First Edition  ||  1907  
|-
|Editions  ||  96  
|-
|First Winner  || {{flagiconFRA}}   [[Lucien Mazan|Lucien Petit-Breton]]  
|-
|Most Recent  || {{flagiconITA}}   [[Alessandro Petacchi]]  
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|Most Wins  || {{flagiconBEL}}  [[Eddy Merckx]] , 7 times  
|}


'''Milan - San Remo''', nicknamed ''la primavera'', is an annual [[cycling]] race between [[Milan]] and [[San Remo, Italy|San Remo]]. Currently it is the longest of all professional one-day cycling races (294 km). The first edition was held in [[1907]], when the Argentinean Frenchman [[Lucien Petit-Breton]] won. Today it is regarded as one of the '[[Classic cycle races|Monuments]]' of the European professional cycling calendar, and is part of the [[UCI ProTour]].

'''Milan - San Remo''' is often called the ''[[cycling sprinter|sprinters]] classic'' while its sister Italian race the [[Giro di Lombardia]] held in the autumn season is often called the ''[[climbing specialist (cycling)|climbers]] classic''.

== History ==
In the early years the main difficulty of the race was the [[Passo del Turchino]], but when cycling became more professional the climb was too far away from the finish-line to be decisive. Therefore in [[1960]] the [[Poggio di San Remo|Poggio]], a climb only a few kilometres before the finish, was introduced in the route. In [[1982]] the [[Cipressa]], a hill near [[Imperia]] was added. The other hills are the so-called 'capi', the [[Capo Mele]], [[Capo Berta]] and [[Capo Cerva]].  Despite these hills the race most often ends in a mass [[cycling sprinter|sprint]].

The most successful rider in Milan-San Remo was [[Eddy Merckx]];  he won 7 times. The most recent edition ([[2005]]) was won by [[Alessandro Petacchi]]. In recent times, the most successful rider in the Via Roma of San Remo has been German [[Erik Zabel]] who has won it four times in his career and lost the 2004 edition to [[Óscar Freire]] because he lifted his arms to celebrate too early.  It was the opening race of the [[UCI World Cup]] series until the series was replaced by the UCI ProTour in [[2005]].

== Route ==
[[Image:Petacchi MSR 2005.jpg|thumb|left|300px|[[Italy|Italian]] [[Sprinting specialist (cycling)|sprinter]] [[Alessandro Petacchi]] winning the [[Milano-San Remo 2005|Milan-San Remo 2005 edition]].]]

Being the longest of all professional one-day cycling races at around 294 km in its 2005 edition, MIlan-San Remo is an unusual test of the riders' endurance due to it being held early  in the season.  It is won often not by the fastest sprinter, but one who is best prepared in the early season.  The hills of Cipressa and Poggio has foiled many fast sprinters who could not stay with the front group.  Alessandro Petacchi the 2005 winner had to put in such a concentrated effort to keep his fitness and lose weight in the off-season that racer [[Erik Dekker]] could not recognize him during the race.  

Despite its flat parcours and long finishing straight, the sprinters teams have been foiled from time-to-time by a determined attack on the last hills towards the finish.  [[Laurent Jalabert]] and [[Maurizio Fondriest]] escaped the [[peloton]] in the [[1995]] edition and stayed away to the finish line.  More recently, classics specialist Italian [[Paolo Bettini]] attacked with several riders in the finale of the [[2003]] edition and stayed away.  He credited his win to the lesson learned from the previous years' failed attempt, which was won by sprinter extraordinaire [[Mario Cipollini]].

The [[2006]] edition will see more hills added into the route to make it more challenging for the sprinters teams, much to the chagrin of many previous winners who complained that the addition will change the character of the race, including Bettini himself.  He remarked that he will take certain pride in winning the race that was more suited for the sprinters teams.

== Winners ==
{| border=1 cellspacing=3 cellpadding=4 style="float:center; margin:0 0 .5em 1em; width:800px; background:#505050; border-collapse:collapse; border:1px solid #999; font-size:83%; line-height:1.5; " summary="Infobox Automobile"
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* [[2005]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Alessandro Petacchi]]
* [[2004]]  {{flagiconSpain}}  [[Oscar Freire]]   
* [[2003]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Paolo Bettini]]  
* [[2002]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Mario Cipollini]]   
* [[2001]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Erik Zabel]]   
* [[2000]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Erik Zabel]]   
* [[1999]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Andrei Tsjmile]] 
* [[1998]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Erik Zabel]] 
* [[1997]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Erik Zabel]] 
* [[1996]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gabriele Colombo]]
* [[1995]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Laurent Jalabert]]
* [[1994]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Giorgio Furlan]]
* [[1993]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Maurizio Fondriest]]
* [[1992]]  {{flagiconIreland}}  [[Sean Kelly]]
* [[1991]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Claudio Chiappucci]]
* [[1990]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gianni Bugno]]
* [[1989]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Laurent Fignon]]
* [[1988]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Laurent Fignon]]
* [[1987]]  {{flagiconSwitzerland}}  [[Erich Mächler]]
* [[1986]]  {{flagiconIreland}}  [[Sean Kelly]]
* [[1985]]  {{flagiconNetherlands}}  [[Hennie Kuiper]]
* [[1984]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Francesco Moser]]
* [[1983]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Giuseppe Saronni]]
* [[1982]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Marc Gomez]] 
* [[1981]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Fons De Wolf]]
* [[1980]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Pierino Gavazzi]]
* [[1979]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Roger de Vlaeminck]] 
* [[1978]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Roger de Vlaeminck]]
* [[1977]]  {{flagiconNetherlands}}  [[Jan Raas]]
* [[1976]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]
* [[1975]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]] 
* [[1974]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Felice Gimondi]]
* [[1973]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Roger de Vlaeminck]]
| valign=top width=34% |
* [[1972]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]
* [[1971]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]  
* [[1970]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Michele Dancelli]]   
* [[1969]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]   
* [[1968]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Rudi Altig]]   
* [[1967]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]   
* [[1966]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Eddy Merckx]]
* [[1965]]  {{flagiconNetherlands}}  [[Arie den Hartog]]   
* [[1964]]  {{flagiconGermany}}  [[Tom Simpson]]   
* [[1963]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Joseph Groussard]]   
* [[1962]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Emile Daems]]   
* [[1961]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Raymond Poulidor]]   
* [[1960]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[René Privat]]   
* [[1959]]  {{flagiconSpain}}  [[Miguel Poblet]]   
* [[1958]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Rik Van Looy]]   
* [[1957]]  {{flagiconSpain}}  [[Miguel Poblet]]   
* [[1956]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Fred De Bruyne]]   
* [[1955]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Germain Derijcke]]   
* [[1954]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Rik van Steenbergen]]   
* [[1953]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Loretto Petrucci]]   
* [[1952]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Loretto Petrucci]]   
* [[1951]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Louison Bobet]]   
* [[1950]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gino Bartali]]   
* [[1949]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Fausto Coppi]]   
* [[1948]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Fausto Coppi]]   
* [[1947]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gino Bartali]]   
* 1946  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Fausto Coppi]]   
* [[1945]]   no race
* [[1944]]   no race
* [[1943]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Cino Cinelli]]   
* [[1942]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Adolfo Leoni]]   
* [[1941]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Pierino Favalli]]   
* [[1940]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gino Bartali]]   
| valign=top width=33% |
* [[1939]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gino Bartali]]   
* [[1938]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Giuseppe Olmo]]   
* [[1937]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Cesare Del Cancia]]   
* [[1936]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Angelo Varetto]]   
* [[1935]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Giuseppe Olmo]]   
* [[1934]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Joseph Demuysere]]   
* [[1933]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Learco Guerra]]   
* [[1932]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Alfredo Bovet]]   
* [[1931]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Alfredo Binda]]   
* [[1930]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Michele Mara]]   
* 1929  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Alfredo Binda]]   
* [[1928]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1927]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Pietro Chesi]]   
* [[1926]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1925]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1924]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Pietro Linari]]   
* [[1923]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1922]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Giovanni Brunero]]   
* [[1921]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1920]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gaetano Belloni]]   
* [[1919]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Angelo Gremo]]   
* [[1918]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Costante Girardengo]]   
* [[1917]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Gaetano Belloni]]   
* [[1916]]    no race
* [[1915]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Ezio Corlaita]]   
* [[1914]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Ugo Agostoni]]   
* [[1913]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Odile Defraye]]   
* [[1912]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Henri Pélissier]]
* [[1911]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Gustave Garrigou]]   
* [[1910]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Eugène Christophe]]   
* [[1909]]  {{flagiconItaly}}  [[Luigi Gana]]   
* [[1908]]  {{flagiconBelgium}}  [[Cyrille van Hauwaert]]   
* [[1907]]  {{flagiconFrance}}  [[Lucien Petit Breton]]   
|}


==External link==
* [http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/Minisiti_Ciclismo/milano-sanremo/ La Gazzetta dello Sport (IT)]


[[Category:UCI ProTour]]
[[Category:Cycle races]]
[[Category:Classic cycle races|Milan-San Remo]]
[[Category:Cycle racing in Italy]]