Milan-Sanremo according to Paolo Bettini: “From the Cypress to the finish …”

We asked Paolo Bettini, winner of the Milan-Sanremo in 2003 and 11 times at the start, to tell us about the Classicissima by dividing it in two: from Milan to the Cipressa (part 1) and from the Cipressa to the finish line. This is the second part.

The real Sanremo begins in San Lorenzo al Mare. There are 27 km to go to the finish and the two symbolic climbs. The Cipressa, included in the route in 1982, measures 5.6 km at an average of 4.1%, with peaks of 9% in the middle: the first part is harder, the last 2 km are just over 2%. 21 km from the summit: descent on Arma di Taggia, a 9 km stretch of Aurelia and 10 km from the end, go up to the Poggio, which patron Vincenzo Torriani decided to insert in 1960 to avoid the continuous conclusions in the sprint. They are 3700 meters at 3.7% with peaks of 8% in the last 600 meters after the Sanctuary of the Guard. Very winding descent and then the final 2 km on the Aurelia before the finish in Via Roma, with the straight protected by the houses that pulls up to 1-2%.

The word to Bettini

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Paolo Bettini analyzes the hot spots for us. Let’s start with the Pogacar-Van Aert duel. “They are the leading men, but Sanremo is always unpredictable, as history shows. The story of mine and Cancellara with his attack in 2008 at the last kilometer, that of Tchmil (1999) who ran away on the Aurelia or of Zabel who thought he had won and was mocked by Freire in 2004. Sanremo is truly a terno to the lot. In the end, I say Van Aert on Pogacar, also considering the altitude: they are both highly motivated and in condition, Van Aert is the man who can keep Pogacar’s violent acceleration, and also who can hope to beat him more easily in the sprint. But even here it is Sanremo: I think of Sagan who did everything to lose it, not to have it in the roll of honor and perhaps he will never win it again. When he arrived with Kwiatkowski and Alaphilippe in 2017, he had won, mathematician. He did the last 3 km as a superior, and here is where his head counts: there his head went off, Sagan thought he had already won it ”. Could Pogacar think he has already won, considering what he demonstrated in 2022? “No. Van Aert may think he already has it in his hand, because he already knows how to do it. But the Flemish is a very expert one ”.

Cipressa and Poggio

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The closer we get to the Poggio, the more Van Aert’s prices go up? “If the hardest 800 meters at the top of the Poggio are enough for Pogacar? Yes, they might even be enough. Paolini and I came out of a group of 80 riders. Pogacar can still hurt, yes. Go away alone? I don’t know, Van Aert will surely go after him, but Van Aert can play Roglic. If Pogacar ventures on the Cypress, if I were Van Aert I would send Roglic away, and he could do as Pozzato in 2006, who won with me and Boonen behind to protect him ”. The strong point? “For Pogacar it is the Cypress. It must be for him to anticipate. The Poggio, as it is made, is more for Van Aert, Pogacar struggles more in the complex-climb. If they go away together? In the sprint Van Aert is faster, but we are still in Sanremo … ”.

Unknown wind

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Let’s analyze the Cypress. “The hardest point is the hairpin to the right where the road opens up. I, if I were Pogacar, would start earlier. He will hardly have too many men to protect him on the Poggio: if he wants to race hard, he has to play the team’s potential on the Cipressa, and he can’t wait for the famous right bend. Do you remember where Pantani left in 1999? At the bend to the left before the hard point, 5-6%, then there is the whole slight slope, the bend to the right, and then the challenging ridge opens up. Based on the wind, I’d like to say that this Saturday would be against the wind. Pogacar must take the Cypress as if the finish were at the top ”. Could Formolo be the only one who is close to him in the end? “Yes, in a group of 15 he fits, and he is very strong even downhill. If he does the action, the descent on the Cypress will be done by Pogacar himself, and then on the Aurelia it is important to have a man like Formolo ”. We are on the Aurelia, 10 km where many actions were born and died out. “There are few big names in this Sanremo, and here someone can escape. The most difficult stretch to manage from the psychological-tactical side is that of the Aurelia that leads to the Poggio. You go, no, you go, and someone can take advantage of it. Seven-eight or 15-20, with fast people like Matthews ”. And the incidence of the wind? “We need to understand how they find it in hot spots, because Cipressa and Poggio“ turn ”with curves and hairpin bends. If on the Cypress you find it against the ridge, it will be difficult to do the important action and the values ​​flatten out. If they are repaired, it becomes important to see how it will be on the Aurelia: and if it is in favor and there is a group of 7-8 who are thrown down, it becomes interesting. The same is true on the Poggio: after the water tanks, you will find the wind on the side, and whoever has a leg could really hurt. It gives you speed and if you lose two meters, plugging the hole becomes very difficult “.

Hope Ganna

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And Filippo Ganna, the only Italian hope? “Due to its size, the only way is to be found between Cipressa and Poggio, perhaps in one of those small groups that come back from behind after the Cipressa and then mix; hope that in the game of “filings” he can plant a sharp sprint, take ten seconds ahead and then I want to see who goes to close. It’s the only chance he has. On the Cipressa it can be saved, because it is more linear as a climb, it can lose 15, at most 20 ”. But Ganna has to anticipate the Poggio, absolutely yes. Il Poggio is too explosive for Ganna, he would not be able to respond to the shots with almost 20 kilos more. And the first part of the Poggio, which could be more favorable to him, is not a climb from Ganna, that is, to get there and push watts. It’s all a hairpin, every time he slows down, for the size he has, he loses seconds. Ganna also has another possibility: but he has to come out a much flatter race than we expect, he comes down from the Poggio and plays his cards on Aurelia like Tchmil or Cancellara. But for me he will have a hard time getting there: if Ganna is there, we are talking about an arrival of 50 and even 60 riders ”. Surprises and other names? “Matthews or Sagan? If they have not won it in the years in which they had to win it … Jakobsen, on the other hand, is different: he is a bet, he has never raced the Sanremo but it does not count. We have seen, especially young people, have another approach. So far in the sprint he has clearly appeared the strongest of all, and he could do like Cavendish who won in 2009: who expected it? ”.