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Milan – San Remo returns with revised route

  • Ron 

Milan -San Remo will return to the racing calendar on Saturday, August 8 with a revised route, but the classic Cipressa and Poggio climbs intact.

The revised route starts on the Nuova Vigevanese in the municipality of Trezzano sul Naviglio, continuing towards Lomellina, Alessandria, Monferrato and the Langhe before tackling the climb of Colle Nava, 70km from the finish line in Sanremo. In Imperia the race returns to its classic route to face the Cipressa (first climbed in 1982) from San Lorenzo al Mare then soon afterwards the Poggio di Sanremo (first climbed in 1961).

After 110 years, Milan – San Remo changes its’ route and meets the sea only in Imperia after crossing the Po Valley and the Apennines further west than usual. After leaving Milan, it crosses the Lomellina on flat, wide and straight roads. After Alessandria, the race crosses the Monferrato and then passes through the Langhe before facing the first long challenge of the day, the ascent of Niella Belbo. The slopes are gentle, but there are, especially in the initial part of the climb, steep sections and the ascent is almost 20km long (average gradient of 3%). After Ceva begins the long and easy ascent to Colle di Nava (3.9km and a gradient of 3% in the final part of the climb), followed by the fast dive on Pieve di Teco, then on to reach Imperia. The ascent and descent are both on wide roads while the crossing of Langhe and Monferrato has narrow sections. In Imperia the race returns to the classic route to tackle the Cipressa (first climbed in 1982) from San Lorenzo al Mare and shortly afterwards, the Poggio di Sanremo (first climbed in 1961).

Cipressa and Poggio Stay

Following the Cipressa (5.6km with an average gradient of 4.1%) is a very fast and challenging descent which takes riders back to the SS 1 Aurelia. At 9km from the finish, the ascent of Poggio di Sanremo begins (3.7km long with an average gradient of less than 4% and a maximum of 8% in the segment shortly before the crest of the climb). The road is slightly narrower, with four hairpin turns in the first 2km. The descent is extremely technical, on asphalt roads, narrow at points and with a succession of hairpins, twists and turns as far as the junctions with the SS 1 Aurelia. The final part of the descent enters urban Sanremo. The last bend, leading into the home straight, is 750m from the finish line.

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