2020 Milano-Sanremo Race Preview
The details of this year's 2020 Milano-Sanremo are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The longest one-day race on the professional calendar heads to the Italian Riviera this weekend as the peloton tackles the 299 kilometres from Milan to the Ligurian coast. Already delayed from its traditional mid-March slot due to the global pandemic, this edition of La Classicissima carries an extra weight of anticipation after months without racing, and the sport's return to action after the lockdown gives the event a charged and emotional atmosphere.
The route follows its familiar pattern for the most part, rolling through the Po Valley before turning south and west along the coast toward San Remo. The crucial moments will come in the final 40 kilometres or so, where the Cipressa and the Poggio di San Remo will once again serve as the decisive battlegrounds. The Poggio in particular, a short but punchy climb with gradients touching eight percent, has historically been the place where the race is either won or lost, with the descent into San Remo rewarding those brave enough to push their limits on the way up.
The pre-race conversation will inevitably centre on Julian Alaphilippe, whose attacking brilliance on the Poggio last year drew gasps before his eventual sprint victory on the Via Roma. The Frenchman arrives in strong form and will be a marked man from the outset. Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel bring extraordinary versatility to the startlist, and both possess the power and speed to contest any kind of finish this race might produce. Peter Sagan, a former winner here, cannot be discounted, while Greg Van Avermaet and Michal Kwiatkowski add further depth to a fascinating field. Among the pure sprinters, Caleb Ewan and Elia Viviani will hope the race comes together in a way that allows them to contest the finale, though the Poggio so often denies them that opportunity.
With warmer late summer conditions replacing the sometimes brutal cold of March, the race may well be faster and more tactical than usual, placing an even greater premium on reading the moment correctly in those final kilometres. However it unfolds, the finish line in San Remo promises something memorable.
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