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EFE · Road Competition · 03/20/2021
The Belgian cyclist Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) surprised in the 112th edition of the Milan-San Remo and took the first monument of the course after beating the Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and the winner in 2020, the Belgian Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who could not repeat his victory after a race with a tight finish in which Spaniard Lex Aranburu (Astana) was seventh.
At 28, Stuyven achieved the most prestigious achievement of his career, previously adorned with good victories such as a stage in the Vuelta a Espaa 2015, a Vuelta a Germany in 2019, a Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in 2016 or a Grand Prix. of Wallonia in 2018. Without a doubt, the Milan-San Remo of 2021 will leave a good prestige button for the Belgian runner, the cover of a last push that ended with his figure crossing the finish line of Via Roma above the box.
The first of the 5 monuments met expectations of a powerful start to spring after a Tyrrhenian-Adriatic that promises strong emotions with several candidates for the throne of San Remo. With the resignation of the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), at the top of the podium in the Tirreno-Adritico, other protagonists of that race were left with the aura of favorites.
Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), winner of the last edition of the Milan-San Remo; the Dutch Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), hoping to emulate his grandfather Raymond Poulidor (champion 60 years ago); and Julian Alanphilippe (Deceunick-Quickstep), rainbow jersey and second in 2020, had an appointment with the prestige of taking the first monument of the course.
Other names such as Vincenzo Niballi, Micha Kwiatkowski, Alexander Kristoff or Arnaud Demare, victorious in previous editions, figures such as Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Maximilian Schachamann, Caleb Ewan, Sam Bennet or the Spaniards Ivn Garca Cortina and Lex Aranburu, also presented a good resume with which to win the Milan-San Remo award.
With the Tirreno-Adritico performance indicator, the race started as expected, with a group breakaway attempt to set the pace for a possible feat of nearly 300 kilometers.
Up to seven runners jumped out of the pack almost at the first change. Nicola Conci, Mathias Norsgaard, Andrea Peron, Charles Planet, Alessandro Tonelli, Taco van der Hoorn and Mattia Viel hit the mark. They were later joined by an eighth name, Filippo Tagliani, the last to be added to what would be the getaway of the day.
At first, the squad looked in profile at the assault to the skies and the eight escapees came to have a maximum advantage of more than seven minutes that was reduced little by little thanks to the insistence of the favorites to regain lost ground.
The Deceunick-Quickstep began the hunt with the Declercq Tractor in command of operations. Later, Alpecin-Fenix and Jumbo-Visma joined. Between the three of them, they carried the brunt of the shuttle operation of their favorites, Van Aert, Van der Poel and Alanphilippe. But, above all, the most insistent was Declercq, who for more than a hundred kilometers pulled the squad tirelessly until almost reducing the advantage of the escapees to more than half the lost time.
With 135 kilometers to go, the distance was reduced to 4:27; at 125, at 3:43; at 95, at 3:28; at 85, at 3:00; at 65, at 2:17, and, at 55, at 1:22, at which point the escapees were left in a group of four (Tonelli, Viel, Hoorn and Conci) that finally ended up in the clutches of the squad at 24 kilometers from the finish line. When passing Cape Mele and Cape Cervo, the escapees went with the water up to their necks. And, during the Cipressa port, the leak turned to ashes.
Then, the Jumbo-Visma took the controls to culminate the Cipressa and try to discard names. On the descent, Ineos cut the peloton and made Van der Poel suffer, who miraculously endured at the end of a group of about 50 runners who stayed in the lead for a few minutes.
The ascent to Poggio, the last stumbling block before reaching Via Roma, did not dictate a sentence either. The Ineos, well armed, protected Kwiatkowski very well, but Alanphilippe, a kilometer from the top, struck. Van der Poel held on, Van Aert was cut but managed to join the final group of fourteen with Aranburu in tow and with Sagan and Ewan among the chosen ones.
Stuyven, hidden among all the cameras pointing at the favorites, gave a revved up and applied his good-wheeler status. He held the final rent of the rest of the candidates and took the first monument. Exhausted, he fell to the ground in need of air. Behind, Ewan, second as in 2018, and Van Aert, third, were left without the grand prize. Stuyven took him in a rush of meters that he will never forget.
Classifications [Clasificaciones completas]
Classification of the Milan-San Remo 2021:
1. Jasper Stuyven (BEL / Trek-Segafredo) – 6:38:06
2. Caleb Ewan (AUS / Lotto-Soudal) – mt
Wout Van Aert (BEL / Jumbo-Visma) – mt
4. Peter Sagan (SVK / Bora-Hansgrohe) – mt
5. Mathieu van der Poel (NED / Alpecin-Fenix) – mt
6. Michael Matthews (AUS / BikeExchange) – mt
7. ALEX ARANBURU (ESP / Astana-Premier Tech) – mt
8. Sonny Colbrelli (ITA / Bahrain-Victorious) – mt
9. Soren Kragh Andersen (DEN / Dsm) – mt
10. Anthony Turgis (FRA / Total-Direct Energie) – mt
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