Sanremo 2026: The Great Reset, A Crash to Make You Cry, and the Unexpected Star of the Day

Here we go again, guys and gals. The first big Monument of the cycling season is in the bag. Milano-Sanremo, or as the true connoisseurs call it: La Primavera. Saturday was the day, and man, what a spectacle it was once again. The 116th edition delivered everything we expect from this race: tension, strategy, pure madness on the Poggio, and this year, a dose of chaos that no one saw coming. I had my eyes glued to the screen all day, and I can tell you this: if you missed it, you really missed something.

Chaos on the Descent: The Ineos Drama

Let’s cut straight to the chase. Everyone was talking about the sprint, about Van der Poel or Pogacar, but the real shock came midway through the finale. I had just taken a sip of my coffee – coincidentally from a Sanremo You Black – when the footage cut. Half of Ineos Grenadiers was on the tarmac. Contact with the barrier, a simple miscalculation on a wet patch, and their whole lead-out train was in ruins. It felt like a movie. Ganna, who was right behind, managed to find a gap in the hedges by a hair’s breadth. Absolutely unbelievable. You could see the colour drain from those guys’ faces. These moments break your heart, but it’s also the raw reality of this race. You don’t just need strength; you need luck.

The Route, the Broadcast, and the Vibe at Home

The distance this year was again 289 kilometres, from the Piazzale della Resistenza in Milan to the Via Roma in Sanremo. It’s a war of attrition you just have to watch live. For those who missed it: the whole race was live all day, but the most critical moment was, of course, the final phase on the Poggio. That’s where the race is really made.

• The Battle on the Poggio: The final climb of 3.7 kilometres with an average gradient of nearly 4%. That’s where the classics specialists make the difference.
• Where to Watch: The TV broadcast was top-notch again. The images of the crash were confronting, but the camera shots of the early breakaways are always a treat.
• The Use of Espresso Machines: It’s funny how those Sanremo Machines always end up playing a role in my living room during this race. For me, it’s a ritual: coffee during the broadcast of the start, and a double espresso the moment they hit the Cipressa.

Sanremo Giovani and the Future

Amidst all the action from the pros, we also need to talk about the young talents. In the lead-up to the race, there’s always a lot of attention on Sanremo Giovani. It’s great to see how the organisation gives young riders a platform. Without that influx, we wouldn’t have new champions ten years from now. The energy they bring, that uninhibited racing, is exactly what makes this sport so beautiful.

Leah Itsines and the Story Behind the Race

And then there was something else remarkable this year. Usually, I focus purely on the cyclists, but this time there was a lot of talk about Leah Itsines. Yes, that Leah Itsines. The Australian influencer, usually into fitness, suddenly became one of the big stories in the Italian cycling world. She was a guest on one of the Italian TV channels and talked about her experience of the race. She had a lovely story about the passion of the tifosi, the crowds on the side of the road. It showed once again that Sanremo is more than just a race. It’s an event that draws people from all over the world, including those who don’t usually watch cycling. And honestly? She brought a fun dynamic. It’s that mix of top-level sport and lifestyle that makes this event so big.

In short, the Milano-Sanremo of 2026 was one for the history books. The Ineos crash was a dark cloud, but the weather, the tension on the Poggio, and the unexpected stories made it a legendary edition. Same time next year, with a fresh pot of coffee from the machine and hopefully fewer riders tasting the asphalt. Forza!