Milan-San Remo 2023

The road

At the start

Abbiategrasso, and the Poggio waits

The first Monument of the year: 294 kilometres from Abbiategrasso to the Via Roma, with everything resting on the 3.7 kilometres of the Poggio. Tadej Pogačar arrives with nine wins already this season, having attacked that climb three times last year and never got clear. Matej Mohorič defends the downhill that won it for him, Wout van Aert is the bookmakers' pick, and Mathieu van der Poel has yet to find his spring.

How it was won

1. 122 km to go

   Cipressa

   After 250km of phoney war the race finally bares its teeth. Ineos drive to the front over the top of the Cipressa, the last survivors of the break are reeled in, and the whole peloton is strung into a single nervous line for the Poggio.

2. 27 km to go

   Pogačar lights the Poggio

   Onto the Poggio and Pogačar attacks hard, twice, the move everyone feared. The bunch shreds behind him and only a handful of riders can even see his wheel.

3. 35 km to go

   Van der Poel counters over the top

   As Pogačar's dig stalls, Van der Poel explodes over the crest of the Poggio and rockets onto the descent. Nobody goes with him. In a heartbeat the strongest classics rider in the world has the gap he needs.

4. 44 km to go

   The Poggio descent

   Van der Poel throws himself down the twisting descent, brushing the barriers, carrying every ounce of speed onto the seafront. Behind, the chasers hesitate and the race is already lost.

5. 5At the line

   Via Roma

   Van der Poel rides up the Via Roma alone for the third Monument of his career, holding off Ganna and Van Aert who lead the sprint for the minor places behind.

The result