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The season is still young. The first monument of the year still has three big favorites.
Legend:
Are you also trying to win the «Classicissima» among yourselves?
Julian Alaphilippe, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel (left).
imago images
As a general rule, the list of favorites before one of the classics is relatively long. Winning one of the prestigious monuments is one of the priorities of many drivers. Additionally, unpredictable factors can influence a one-day race of that distance. You must have a corresponding number of candidates on the bill.
At the spring classic Milan – San Remo on Saturday is a little different for once. At least you can reach this conclusion if you look closely at the Tyrrhenian – Adriatic classification.
Victories shared between them
The “race between seas” is considered the preparatory race for Milan – San Remo par excellence. Four names have shaped it this year. Tadej Pogacar, who won both the general and mountain standings, will not be at the start on Saturday. Wout Van Aert, Julian Alaphilippe and Mathieu van der Poel, on the other hand, do:
- Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma): The Belgian claimed two stage victories at the Tyrrhenian. He won the first part of the sprint and beat the two best sprinters Caleb Ewan and Fernando Gaviria. In addition, the 26-year-old won the last time trial (before Stefan Küng). Van Aert finished the course in second place overall and also took home the points jersey.
- Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix): The Dutchman was also able to cheer on the Tirreno twice. In the 3rd stage, the cycling world champion beat Van Aert in the sprint. The Strade-Bianche winner delivered his masterpiece two days later when he capped a 50-kilometer solo escape with the last of his strength with the day’s victory.
- Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck – Quick-Step): The French road world champion won a stage in the Tyrrhenian. The 28-year-old beat Van der Poel and Van Aert in the second stage on an uphill straight.
Van Aert, Van der Poel and Alaphilippe were responsible for 5 of the 7-day victories at the Tyrrhenian. And there are many signs that the three high-flying pilots will also win the first memorial of the season.
Laughing fourth?
Van Aert is the defending champion and with his Jumbo Visma team, like Alaphilippe, he has a strong team behind him. The Frenchman finished third at Milan – San Remo 2017. In 2019 he won “La Primavera” before finishing second behind Van Aert last year.
Van der Poel, who can hardly be beaten in terms of versatility, is on his way to becoming a quintessential classic hunter. In 2019 he won the Gold Race, before winning the Tour of Flanders last year and this year the triumph of Strade-Bianche.
But sprinters can also have hope. Nowhere else are the prospects for a final sprint to victory at one of the 5 monuments as good as at the finish line in Via Roma. However, Van Aert, Van der Poel and Alaphilippe have also recently demonstrated their top speed.
There are also two Swiss on the starting list: Stefan Bissegger and Michael Schär. Stefan Küng focuses on the classics of Flanders.
