"I knew I could ride a good race, but I didn't think I could win it. This is the most important race of the year, give me a bit of time to think how I won it."
"I analysed the tactical details of the race. Our team leader for the day was Zanini, and I was ready to prepare the ground for an attack on the Cipressa. I was really a bit perplexed, because last year it was decided on the Poggio. Bombini convinced me to decide if I wanted to win I would have to take the risk. I respected his judgement. After Berzin pushed the pace I was left with a decision. It was Eugeni (Berzin) who told me to go for it."
"When Sciandri and Coppolillo caught up I said great, two less to lead the pursuers. On the Poggio I knew I had the power to win because I saw Sciandri and Gontchenkov had done a bit. I had a couple of goes to test how well they would cope with the long final effort which is a bit of my speciality. I can wind it up but I'm not a sprinter. I looked for the right moment, then I suddenly knew I had the power to make a good attack. No-one followed me to take the responsibility of chasing because it would have been a certain death sentence."
[Yesterday a bunch of them appeared to fall off on a training ride at the Poggio, Colombo by a miracle landed on his feet with no injury.]
He won thanks to an impeccable mix of agility, power and intuition: "Agility for the first seven hours of the race, when I was trying to conserve all my energy. Power to go for it on the Cipressa, and intuition to know when to launch myself before the sprint."
"I will defend the white World Cup leader's jersey at Flanders, but I don;t think I'll have the condition. Maybe next Milan-San Remo. We'll see then."
"I was always treated like a boy who could fly. I had the good fortune to be close to a champion like Argentin, who was my model at the end of my youth. And I found than Bontempi and Berzin rubbed off a little of their profession on me. And of course there's Bombini, the motivator and mentor of the team."