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 on the door. Milan-San Remo, or as the purists call it: La Classicissima. This Saturday, 293 kilometres and the most beautiful flowers of the Italian Riviera are on the menu. And boy, is it shaping up to be a real war of attrition. We're not talking about just any race; this is the opening ball of the major Classics, and everyone wants to be there.

Why we're glued to the screen year after year

The beauty of San Remo lies in its timing and its terror. You know it's hours of orchestrated chaos. The teams with their sprinters are thinking about the Via Roma, the men with Classic ambitions feel their legs tingle on the Cipressa, and then there's always that one madman who tries to blow the race apart 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 took his second of a total of three wins. Those were the days of pure man-to-man battles, with steel frames and leather helmets.

The mythical editions that came before

As a cycling fan, I'm always captivated by the history. It's precisely 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. A complete surprise that showed how, on these roads, bad luck or having your day can make your name famous. And Milan-San Remo 1983? That was the battle on the Poggio at its very best. Giuseppe Saronni, putting everything on the line in the descent. It shows you: today's Classics are written with the ink of yesterday's legends. The names change, but the drama remains.

The favourites: who will take the flowers on the Via Roma?

Let's turn to the riders of today. This year, we have a start list that reads like a dream. Here are the men I'll be keeping both eyes on:

• Tadej Pogacar: The Slovenian is naturally the man wearing number one. He can do it all, but the question is whether he can combine his explosiveness on the Poggio with the patience of a true Classics specialist. There's talk that he's never ridden the Cipressa as hard as he plans to this time.
• Mathieu van der Poel: Our Dutch pride. A whole year of working towards this moment. If he gets over the Poggio without too much damage, he's almost unbeatable on the Via Roma in a sprint from a select group. The only question is: will they let him get away?
• Tom Pidcock & Filippo Ganna: Two completely different types. Pidcock with his punch, Ganna with his raw power on the flat. If the wind picks up, Ganna can break the peloton. Pidcock is my dark horse for when it really comes down to the final metres.

The decisive kilometres: Cipressa and Poggio

We all know it: the race truly begins on the Cipressa. That's where the pace is ratcheted up until your legs are screaming. But the real 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 rolls out.

My take on the finale

I've seen it too often in recent years: the big favourites watching each other too closely. Somewhere, I'm hoping for a scenario where we relive those old times, like in the 70s and 80s. Where an attack on the top of the Poggio isn't neutralised immediately, but where a rider has the nerve to push on. Whether it's Pogacar, Van der Poel, or a surprise contender looking to etch their name into the history books alongside Merckx, De Vlaeminck, and Saronni. One thing's for sure: when the riders come around that final bend on Saturday after hours of racing, we'll be here with our noses pressed to the screen. It's Milan-San Remo. You don't need anything more.