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 Giro finale Photo ©: Bettini |
95th Milan - San Remo - CDM
Italy, March 20, 2004
2003 results Preview Start List Past winners
Bettini favourite for MSR
But look out for sprinters and dark horse Vino
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The first of the spring classics, the opening round of the men's World Cup, the longest one-day race of the season and the race every Italian wants to win, Milan - San Remo marks the moment when the racing season goes into overdrive after the 'serious warm-ups' of Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.
Last year's edition of the race known to tifosi as 'La Primavera' (The Spring) was won by Paolo Bettini (Quick.Step-Davitamon), who has already made it clear he wants a repeat, and has demonstrated his storming early season form with a fine pair of stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico, a race he leads at the time of writing.
Mario Cipollini kicked off his stellar 2002 with a win in San Remo, a year he completed seven months later by taking the world championships in Zolder. The Lion King hasn't has a terrific start to 2004 with Fassa Bortolo sprinter Alessandro Petacchi getting in the way rather a lot on Tirreno-Adriatico finish lines. But despite dropping out of Tirreno-Adriatico, Cipo says Milan - San Remo's climbs are very different from Tirreno-Adriatico's and he'll be "150 percent ready."
Also looking strong is the T-Mobile ensemble of Alexandre Vinokourov and Erik Zabel. Zabel already has four Milan-San Remo victories to his name and would love a fifth, but if the race gets away from the sprinters, Vinokourov, who found his form halfway through Paris-Nice last week, will be there to "follow Bettini and the favourites on the Poggio."
Because Milan - San Remo carries enormous prestige - previous winners include sean Kelly, Laurent Fignon, Laurent Jalabert, Eddy Merckx (a staggering seven times), Fausto Coppi and Alfredo Binda - it's always a hard-fought, fascinating race. With the cream of today's stars looking to add their names to the Milan - San Remo honour roll, this year's edition looks like being no exception.
Past winners
2003 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick.Step-Davitamon 297 km in 6.44.43 (44.03 km/h) 2002 Mario Cipollini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 287 km in 6.39.30 (43.105 km/h) 2001 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 287 km in 7.23.13 (38.852 km/h) 2000 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 294 km in 7.11.29 (40.882 km/h) 1999 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Mobistar 294 km in 6.52.37 (42.752 km/h) 1998 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom-ADR 294 km in 7.10.14 (41.00 km/h) 1997 Erik Zabel (Ger) Telekom 1996 Gabriele Colombo (Ita) Gewiss Playbus 1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) ONCE 1994 Giorgio Furlan (Ita) Gewiss Ballan 1993 Maurizio Fondriest (Ita) Lampre 1992 Sean Kelly (Ire) Festina 1991 Claudio Chiappucci (Ita) Carrera 1990 Gianni Bugno (Ita) Chateau d'Ax 1989 Laurent Fignon (Fra) System U 1988 Laurent Fignon (Fra) System U 1987 Erich Mächelr (Swi) Carrera 1986 Sean Kelly (Ire) KAS Mavic 1985 Hennie Kuiper (Ned) 1984 Francesco Moser (Ita) GiS Gelati-LucTuc 1983 Giuseppe Saronni (Ita) Del Tongo 1982 Marc Gomez (Fra) Wolber Spidel 1981 Alfons DeWolf (Bel) Vermeer-Thijs-Gios 1980 Pierino Gavazzi (Ita) Magniflex Olmo 1979 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) Gis 1978 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) Sanson 1977 Jan Raas (Ned) Frisol-Gazelle 1976 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1975 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1974 Felice Gimondi (Ita) 1973 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel) 1972 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1971 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1970 Michele Dancelli (Ita) 1969 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1968 Rudi Altig (Ger) 1967 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1966 Eddy Merckx (Bel) 1965 Arie den Hartog (Ned) 1964 Tom Simpson (GBr) 1963 Joseph Groussard (Fra) 1962 Emil Daems (Bel) 1961 Raymond Poulidor (Fra) 1960 René Privat (Fra) 1959 Miguel Poblet (Spa) 1958 Rik Van Looy (Bel) 1957 Miguel Poblet (Spa) 1956 Fred DeBruyne (Bel) 1955 Germain Derijcke (Bel) 1954 Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) 1953 Loretto Petrucci (Ita) 1952 Loretto Petrucci (Ita) 1951 Louison Bobet (Fra) 1950 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1949 Fausto Coppi (Ita) 1948 Fausto Coppi (Ita) 1947 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1946 Fausto Coppi (Ita) 1943 Cino Cinelli (Ita) 1942 Adolfo Leoni (Ita) 1941 Pierino Favalli (Ita) 1940 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1939 Gino Bartali (Ita) 1938 Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) 1937 Cesarde Del Cancia (Ita) 1936 Angelo Varetto (Ita) 1935 Giuseppe Olmo (Ita) 1934 Joseph Demysere (Bel) 1933 Learco Guerra (Ita) 1932 Alfredo Bovet (Ita) 1931 Alfredo Binda (Ita) 1930 Michele Mara (Ita) 1929 Alfredo Binda (Ita) 1928 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1927 Pietro Chesi (Ita) 1926 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1925 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1924 Pietro Linari (Ita) 1923 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1922 Giovanni Brunero (Ita) 1921 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1920 Gaetano Belloni (Ita) 1919 Angelo Cremo (Ita) 1918 Costante Girardengo (Ita) 1917 Gaetano Belloni (Ita) 1915 Ezio Gorlaita (Ita) 1914 Ugo Agostoni (Ita) 1913 Odiel Defraeye (Bel) 1912 Henri Pellessier (Fra) 1911 Gustave Garrigou (Fra) 1910 Eugene Christophe (Fra) 1909 Luigi Ganna (Ita) 1908 Cyrille Van Hauwaert (Bel) 1907 Lucien Petit-Breton (Fra) Past Winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com.
