Tom Boonen leads Etixx Quickstep  at Milan San Remo – “We are not the favourites for the win, but we’ll see what we can do” say team
![]() |
Etixx – Quick-Step to Milan-Sanremo
© Etixx – Quick-Step / Tim de Waele
The longest one-day race in the calendar, totaling a whopping 291 kilometers, will take place on Saturday, March 19th, when 200 riders will leave from Milan’s via della Chiesa Rossa and head to Liguria. After more than 140 kilometers from the start, the riders will face the day’s first climb, the mythical Passo del Turchino, which served many times as a springboard to victory in the romantic age of cycling. In present times, Turchino isn’t decisive, but it will sure take the sting out of some riders’ legs, as they will go up for around 25 kilometers. After cresting it, the race will ease up again, that is until the final 90 kilometers, when the peloton will tackle Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta.
Still, the first real difficulty of the day will come much later, inside the last 27 kilometers, with Cipressa (5 km, 4.1% average), an ascent which could see attacks or an upping of the pace in an attempt of some teams to leave the sprinters behind. If this won’t work, another opportunity will come on the famous Poggio, the 4-km long climb which tops less than 6 kilometers off the finish line. A fast and furious descent follows next, where the attackers can put pressure on their rivals and drop them, before the arrival on Via Roma, a boulevard which, unlike Lungomare Italo Calvino, comes one kilometer closer to the Poggio, offering an advantage to those willing to take risks on the downhill.
13 years after making his debut in “La Classicissimaâ€, Tom Boonen will return at the start of the race which saw him finish twice on the podium (2007 and 2010), this year’s Milan-Sanremo marking the 37th career start in a Monument for the former world champion. Joining him will be Gianluca Brambilla, neo-pro Fernando Gaviria, Fabio Sabatini, Zdenek Stybar, Matteo Trentin, Stijn Vandenbergh and Julien Vermote, thus giving Etixx – Quick-Step an all-rounded team for the Italian event.
“Milan-Sanremo is the first big one-day race of the year, and also the longest and most difficult to win. The parcours is the classic one, but it still is a lottery, the final being always tough to predict. There are many contenders for the victory, riders who’ve shown in France and Italy that they are in very good form.
I’m thinking here of Michael Matthews, Alexander Kristoff, Fabian Cancellara, Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan or Edvald Boasson Hagenâ€, said sport director Davide Bramati, before talking of the team’s approach to the maiden Monument of the season: “We have a great group of riders, who came out of Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico in good condition and ready to face this 300-km long event.
We are not the favourites for the win, but we’ll see what we can do depending on how things will go, and you can be sure of the fact that we will play a role during the race. Our main goal is to be there and get the maximum out of it.â€
19.03 Milano – Sanremo (ITA) 1.UWT
Riders
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Gianluca Brambilla (ITA)
Fernando Gaviria Rendon (COL)
Fabio Sabatini (ITA)
Zdenek Stybar (CZE)
Matteo Trentin (ITA)
Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
Julien Vermote (BEL)
Sports Director Davide Bramati (ITA)
Wilfried Peeters (BEL)
Length 291.0 km
Start 10:10
Finish 17:30
Website http://www.milanosanremo.it
Send your results as well as club, team & event news here
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- Result: Beverley Town Centre Races
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- Crit Result: Portsmouth Evening Circuits 11
- Crit Result: RCR FatCreations Goodwood Summer Special
- UK Armed Forces Inter-services Road Race
- Report: TLI Cycling ‘Belgium Training Series
- BMCR RESULT: The Ron Day MK Bowl Circuit races (July 23rd)
- RR Result: Bath RC Junior National Series Road Race
- Crit Result: West Thames League 15
- Crit Result: SACA Salt Ayre Tuesday Series 15
- Crit Result: Bath CC Mid Summer Series 2
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #17
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 10m TT
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- Youth Result: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 14
- TT Result: Verulam Cycling Club 25m TT
- TT Result: Manchester & District Ladies CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Ferryhill Wheelers CC 25m TT
- Crit Result: Banbury Star Crit Series #2
- RR Result: Lakes Road Club Summer Road Race
- National Circuit Series: Colne
- TT Result: Kings Lynn CC 15m TT
- TT Result: ECCA 10 mile Time Trial
- TT Result: Chorley Cycling Club 10m TT
- TT Result: Houghton CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers 10m TT
- TT Result: Farnham RC 10m TT
- Crit Result: King&Queen of the Bowl Series #13
- TT Result: Kernow Racing Team 10m TT
- Crit Result: Lichfield/Velospeed No Frills at Curborough #7
- TT Result: Swindon RC & Swindon Wh 50m TT
- Crit News: Spatzwear Friday Night Crit Series #6 | YBC
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Crit Result: Thanks Crit it’s Friday 7
- Crit Result: Omega Portsmouth Circuits 6
- Result: BMCR National Road Bike TT Championship
- Crit Result: Ride Revolution Coaching Summer Crits #2
- Crit Result: Shutt Velo Rapide Hitters Crits Rd2
Other News on VeloUK
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships
- STARTLIST: 2024 Women’s British Road Race Championships
- Startlist: 2024 CAMS Yorkshire Classic Road Races
- Startlists: 2024 Circuit Race Championships
- Startlist: CAMS Ronde van Wymeswold
- Startlists & 2023 Results: National Time Trial Championships
- NEWS: Star Studded Line Up for National Road Champs
- Riders so far: London Dynamo Summer Road Races
- Women’s Tour of Britain Startlist (provisional)
- News: Lincoln winner hit by car
- Entries Wanted: Ilkley Cycles Races
- GB Team Named for Women’s Tour of Britain
- STARTLISTS: NW, Yorkshire & NE Regional RR Championships
- Startlists: East Midlands Road Race Championships
- News: Ribble Rebellion Race USA’s Armed Forces Cycling Classic
- TT Result: Legato Racing Team 10m TT
- Pre-Race Rider Quotes: Ford RideLondon Classique
- STARTLIST: Witham Wheelers Road Races
- Team News: Tour of Britain for Alba Development RT
- Startlist: Totnes Vire 2024
- Starters: NW Junior/U23 360cycling Two Day