It was going to be a massive day in the saddle for the riders at the 2021 Milano-Sanremo, with 299km to contend with in what has been regarded as ‘the sprinters classic’. Easily the longest race on the cycling calendar, riders would also have to ascend a number of climbs before the finale in Sanremo, the last of these being the famous Poggio, where the race always explodes one way or another. Even with the prospect of nearly seven hours’ racing, the break made their move as soon as the flag dropped to start the day, with eight riders building an enormous advantage of 7:30 with less than 20km covered. Even at this early stage, the peloton was spurred on to bring them to a more manageable distance, but it wasn’t until the race was three-quarters over and the climbing started that this gap dropped to less than two minutes. Here, Peter Sagan, Pascal Ackermann and Maximilian Schachmann were present in the main bunch representing BORA-hansgrohe and had done well to save their energy, protected by their teammates, before the speeds really ramped up – as if the peloton weren’t already covering the kilometres at a blistering pace. Maciej Bodnar, Marcus Burghardt and Daniel Oss were putting the pressure on the break, riding hard on the front of the bunch as the escapees began to fall off the back on the climbs, making the catch with 24km to go. Pascal took to the front on the Cipressa, before Marcus Burghardt battled to keep his teammates safe to the foot of the Poggio, where positioning was absolutely essential. Maximilian, Peter and Pascal were up at the front with the favourites here, the high speeds making an attack almost impossible, but when they came, Maximilian and Peter were ready, matching their rivals as the descent into Sanremo began, the bunch stretching and regrouping as the attacks came and were pulled back. The day was going to be decided by a sprint, and the Slovak rider put his pedal to the metal, surging to fourth in a super strong effort, his teammates Maximilian and Pascal taking 14th and 20th respectively to mark an excellent ride from the whole team.
From the Finish Line
“It was a bittersweet Milano-Sanremo for me. On the one hand, I’m happy because I’m feeling better and my form is gradually improving, although there is still work to be done to reach a top level. On the other hand, I’m a bit angry because it was another Milano-Sanremo where I missed the chance to get a victory. We worked very well throughout the day, everybody in the team put in a great effort. When the attack was made on the Poggio, a small group went away and I was in the one right behind, together with other strong riders. We didn’t respond to the attack, either because we couldn’t or because we felt we would bridge the gap on the descent. In fact, the two front groups merged and it was clear we would go for a fast sprint finish. I gave my best in the sprint and finished fourth.” – Peter Sagan
