Milano-Sanremo (ITA) - 24.03.2007

(This event is on the 2007 UCI ProTour calendar but does not hold a UCI ProTour licence)

Milano-Sanremo celebrates its centenary in 2007 and the first major one day ‘classic’ of the season is expected to celebrate all that is good about Italian cycling. The first ever edition of the race in 1907 was won by Lucien Petit Breton but then Italian riders quickly took over, dominating until Loretto Petrucci’s famous double in 1952 and 1953. In the last 50 years the race has been fiercely contested by all the great riders. Eddy Merckx won seven times during his immense career and more recently Erik Zabel of Germany won four times in five years between 1997 and 2001, to earn the nickname of Mr Milano-Sanremo. Zabel has lead the sprinters domination in recent years but promising young Italian rider Filippo Pozzato surprised them all last year with a late surge to the line after being in a late attack. At 294 km Milano-Sanremo is the longest one-day race on the calendar but is considered one of the easiest to ride while also being one of the most difficult to win. It is always a thrilling race because it is impossible to know if the attacks on the final Poggio climb will stay clear or if the sprinters will manage to fight for victory in the final rush to the line in Sanremo.