Preview Milan-Sanremo 2024 | Long-awaited comeback Van der Poel starts off immediately with dogfight against Pogacar

2023 Mathieu van der Poel
2022 Matej Mohoric  
2021 Jasper Stuyven
2020 Wout van Aert
2019 Julian Alaphilippe
2018 Vincenzo Nibali
2017 Michal Kwiatkowski
2016 Arnaud Démare
2015 John Degenkolb
2014 Alexander Kristoff
2013 Gerald Ciolek

Bizarrely, similar to last year, Milan-San remo does not commence from Milan but from Pavia, a city located south of the Italian fashion hub. The riders will only dismount their bikes 299 kilometers later, narrowly missing the three-hundred-kilometer mark. The organizers have opted for the same route in 2024 as last year. This means that midway through the course, we will ascend the Passo del Turchino before proceeding along the coast towards the three 'Muri'. The Capo Mele, Capo Cervo, and Capo Berta always induce nervousness, yet victories here are rare.

With an increasing number of climbers targeting Milan-Sanremo, the race becomes truly intriguing after the capos. The Cipressa has traditionally served as preparation for the Poggio. However, UAE Team Emirates demonstrated in 2022 that the Cipressa can also be used for aggressive racing to thin out the peloton. Even Tadej Pogacar might find opportunities here, as evidenced by his audacious solo effort of eighty (!) kilometers in the Strade Bianche.

Nevertheless, the decisive moment always occurs on the Poggio, whether ascending or descending. On paper, it's never an overly steep climb, but after nearly 300 kilometers of racing, it invariably separates the contenders from the pretenders. Some riders are willing to take enormous risks, enabling them to arrive solo at Via Roma, as witnessed in the past two years.

Climbs
144.4 km: Passo del Turchino (8.4 km at 5.1%)
242.5 km: Capo Mele (2.5 km at 5.2%)
247.4 km: Capo Cervo (2.5 km at 4.1%)
255.2 km: Capo Berta (3.0 km at 4.3%)
272.4 km: Cipressa (5.6 km at 4.1%)
288.5 km: Poggio (3.6 km at 3.7%)

Weather
As we journey from the north of Italy to the south, we may encounter various weather conditions along the route. In the starting city of Milan, temperatures will reach around 10 to 12 degrees by Saturday morning. However, a moderate wind will have little impact. Temperatures will climb a few degrees more towards noon, with the sun gradually breaking through the clouds during the early hours.

Following the initial ascent of the day, the sun will continue to dominate, with temperatures around 15 degrees and still a light wind from the east-southeast. Of course, what we're most eager to see is the outlook for Saturday's finale. Temperatures will rise by another degree, but clouds will begin to encroach upon the sun during the afternoon. Furthermore, attackers may feel disheartened as, aside from a gentle breeze, they shouldn't expect much else!

Times.

La Primavera boasts a first: the Italian monument heralds the return of Mathieu van der Poel. The world champion retreated to Spain after a demanding yet triumphant cyclocross season. As the defending champion, MVDP will undoubtedly start as the top favorite, although he will have to share that role with none other than Tadej Pogacar. How the Slovenian concluded his solo effort at Strade Bianche was truly impressive, leading us to ponder whether Pogacar is not equally capable of such a feat in Milan-Sanremo. Despite the former Tour winner facing a less challenging course, with Marc Hirschi and Tim Wellens alongside him, he still has two formidable allies.

Had Olav Kooij not participated in Paris-Nice, Mads Pedersen might have also been considered a top favorite. Prior to the Race to the Sun, the Danish all-rounder had claimed victory in nearly every race he entered. However, he ultimately had to yield to the Dutch sprinter from Visma | Lease a Bike, who also presents a strong contender in the journey from Pavia to Sanremo.

It is also brimming with tough riders, time trial specialists, and attackers. Names like former winner Matej Mohoric, Jasper Stuyven, last year's runner-up Filippo Ganna, and his teammate Tom Pidcock are just a handful among a plethora of contenders who could benefit if the top contenders turn their attention to each other.

On the other hand, we have the sprinters. Preferably those who can handle climbs, and immediately Jasper Philipsen comes to mind. Hence, Alpecin-Deceuninck has two different cards to play, although they may not want to rely entirely on the sprinting prowess of the green jersey holder from the last Tour de France. Indeed, the Kempen-born rider suffered two defeats in Tirreno-Adriatico at the hands of the Italian sprinter, Jonathan Milan. With Wout van Aert absent from the start, Visma | Lease a Bike can also count on the capabilities of Christophe Laporte and Olav Kooij himself.

We don't foresee much of a chance for pure sprinters like former winner Arnaud Démare, Caleb Ewan, Mark Cavendish, and Biniam Girmay, primarily due to their recent track record. However, the Uno-X Mobility and Tudor Pro Cycling duos, Alexander Kristoff-Soren Waerenskjold and Matteo Trentin-Marius Mayrhofer, might still manage to secure a top-ten finish. Finally, it remains to be seen whether former winners Julian Alaphilippe and Michal Kwiatkowski, as well as Michael Matthews, can conjure up something remarkable in the twilight of their careers.

Top favorites: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

You have to love it, but you can watch Milan-Sanremo from start to finish on Saturday at Eurosport. The broadcast begins at 9:50 a.m. via Eurosport 1 and Eurosport.com. The broadcast is scheduled through 5:30 p.m. IDLProCycling.com will be there throughout the day with a live blog, so you can also sit back at your leisure just as the final begins.