Milan-San Remo 2026: The Fastest Classic of the Season Is About to Begin

Here we go again. The first true Monument of the cycling season is knocking at the door. Milan-San Remo, or as the purists call it: La Classicissima. Saturday sees 293 kilometres and the finest flowers of the Italian Riviera on the menu. And boy, is this shaping up to be a brutal war of attrition. We're not talking about just any race here; this is the opening ball of the big Classics, and everyone wants in.

Why we're glued to the screen every year

The beauty of San Remo lies in its timing and its sheer terror. You know it’s going to be hours of orchestrated chaos. The teams with their sprinters are dreaming of the Via Roma, the Classics men feel their legs tingling on the Cipressa, and then there's always that one lunatic who turns the race on its head on the Poggio. It's a contest of millimetres and mental strength. History teaches us that nothing comes for free here. Just think of the legendary 1970 edition, where Eddy Merckx cemented his status as the Cannibal. Or 1974, where Roger De Vlaeminck claimed his second of three overall victories. Those were the days of pure mano-a-mano battles, with steel frames and leather hairnets.

The mythical editions that came before

As a cycling fan, I'm always drawn to the history. It's in a Monument like this that you can trace the lines from the past to the present. Take Milan-San Remo 1976. That edition is etched in my memory as one of the most unpredictable ever. A complete surprise that showed how on these roads, bad luck or having your day can make your name. And Milan-San Remo 1983? That was the battle for the Poggio at its finest. Giuseppe Saronni going all-in on the descent. It just goes to show: the Classics of today are written with the ink of yesterday's legends. The names change, but the drama remains.

The favourites: who'll bag the flowers on the Via Roma?

Let's turn to the riders of today. This year we've got a start list that feels like it's been pulled from a dream. Let me name the ones I'll be keeping a close eye on:

• Tadej Pogacar: The Slovenian is, of course, the man with number one on his back. He can do it all, but the question is whether he can combine his explosive power on the Poggio with the patience of a true Classics specialist. Word on the street is that he’s never ridden the Cipressa as hard as he’s planning to.
• Mathieu van der Poel: Our Dutch pride. A year of training leading up to this moment. If he gets over the Poggio without too much damage, he's almost unbeatable in a sprint from a select group on the Via Roma. The only question is: will they let him ride away?
• Tom Pidcock & Filippo Ganna: Two completely different types. Pidcock with his punch, Ganna with his raw power on the flat. If the wind blows hard, Ganna can shatter the peloton. Pidcock is my dark horse if it comes down to the final metres.

The decisive kilometres: Cipressa and Poggio

We all know it: the race only really starts on the Cipressa. That's where the pace is ratcheted up until your legs scream. But the true finale unfolds on the Poggio di San Remo. The climb is short but nasty. Whoever can force a gap here has the descent to the Via Roma to cash in that advantage. Everyone plays the cat-and-mouse game. The sprint teams will try to keep things together, but it's up to the Classics specialists to stop them. The tactics are simple: make it so hard that your rivals are empty before the red carpet is rolled out.

My take on the finale

I've seen it too often in recent years: the big favourites neutralising each other by watching each other too closely. Somewhere, I'm hoping for a scenario that echoes the old days, like in the 70s and 80s. Where an attack on the summit of the Poggio isn't instantly shut down, but where a rider has the guts to press on. Whether it's Pogacar, Van der Poel, or a surprise contender looking to inscribe their name in the history books alongside Merckx, De Vlaeminck and Saronni. One thing is certain: when the riders, after hours of racing, round that final bend on Saturday, we'll be there with our noses pressed against the screen. It's Milan-San Remo. You don't need anything more.