Milano-Sanremo 2009 [FULL RACE]

March 21, 2009

Milano-Sanremo 2009 – Milano – Sanremo : 294 km

The Milano-Sanremo returns on March 21 for its 100th anniversary edition with its traditional parcours and Le Mànie to spice up the finale along the Ligurian coast. The climb is another difficult obstacle to the sprinters who hope to write their names in the annals of the most celebrated one-day races of cycling. La Classicissima travels 298 kilometres from Milano to Sanremo. It is the first of five traditional Monuments of cycling (the others are Paris-Roubaix, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia).

Mark Cavendish of Team Columbia-Highroad defied the skeptics, coming over the climbs near the finish to take the bunch sprint and win the 100th Milano-Sanremo. He pipped Cervélo’s Heinrich Haussler, who opened the sprint, at the line to snatch the victory away. Haussler’s teammate Thor Hushovd rounded out the podium.

Cavendish was well aware that nobody expected him to do anything today, due to his young age of just 23 years. “I wanted to prove I am more than just a sprinter, but a great rider – that is what I did today.”

Cavendish was hugged by none other than four-time winner Erik Zabel at the finish. Zabel is now coaching the Columbia-Highroad sprinters and the German cried for the first time in Sanremo. “Yes, it was quite emotional. When Mark was still in the first group, and then he did that perfect sprint… we are very happy. That was a big number!”

The Cervélo TestTeam almost crossed Cavendish’s plan. “When Haussler went it took us all by surprise. I waited for a moment and then I had to close the gap along the barrier. It was touch and go, I did not know if I was going to get him,” Cavendish said.

The Cervélo duo Haussler and Hushovd did not only surprise the others, but even themselves. Haussler shot past the others like a rocket. “I yelled at Thor, ‘Come on, get on my wheel,’ and then I went. I was going too fast and he could not get on my wheel.”

Haussler realised he had to do it by himself and went all out, quickly gaining a seemingly insurmountable lead of several bike lengths. But Cavendish pulled himself back into contention, although he still needed to get around Haussler. Cavendish’s quest was helped by Haussler, who had Cavendish perfectly locked in on the left hand side of the road. Haussler moved towards the middle, opening up the road for Cavendish, who took the win by a small margin.

One of the few riders to try to prevent a sprint by attacking on the Poggio was Filippo Pozzato (Katusha), but the tactics didn’t suit him today. “We went too slow on the first climb [Cipressa], so we were not able to make the difference. Afterwards it was Liquigas who was pulling at a high speed. Even if you tried it would have been useless.”

Ivan Basso and Vincenzo Nibali set indeed a blistering pace in the latter part of the course. Pozzato went hard near the top of the Poggio and pulled away with Davide Rebellin (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli). However, the gap was too small and their attempt was brought back on the descent.

Cavendish was hanging on at the end of the group for dear life. But after the descent he worked his way up to find George Hincapie’s rear wheel, and they went that way into the final kilometre.

Other sprinters didn’t figure in the end. Allan Davis, who was supposed to ride for his Quick Step captain Tom Boonen, ended the day in fourth, after Boonen stopped pedaling early and rolled in in 15th place.

It was a nice, sunny day in Milano, when the peloton took off at 9:45. The speed was fast right from the start, with an average of 48 km/h in the first two hours of racing.

The break of the day was large, with 11 riders taking off early. Giampaolo Cheula (Barloworld), Mikhail Ignatiev (Team Katusha), Yuriy Krivtsov (AG2R), Christophe Le Mevel (Française des Jeux), Sebastian Lang (Silence-Lotto), Bernhard Eisel (Team Columbia-Highroad), Thomas Bertolini (Diquigiovanni), Sébastien Turgot (Bouygues Telecom), Maxim Belkov (ISD), Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Team Saxo Bank) and Maarten Tjallingii (Rabobank).

After a bit of reshuffling, seven riders were left at the front after the climb of Le Manie. Cheula, Krivtsov, Le Mevel, Belkov, Klostergaard, Tjallingii and Turgot.

Over the Capo Berta Turgot attacked, but was quickly reeled back in. The bunch had come agonizingly close and was less than a minute behind. The break survived over the Cipressa, but Krivtsov and Klostergaard were the last to be reeled in.

The Cipressa brought a fast, but steady pace. It was urgent enough to reduce the contenders to a group of 40 or 50 riders. American Lance Armstrong (Astana) lost contact over the Cipressa and was in the second group, but he was hardly alone. Only 40-50 riders survived the penultimate climb.

On the front there were no attacks from small groups or individual riders, like seen in the past few years. The big group stayed together on the descent of the Cipressa and on the flat section towards the Poggio.

The only thing that changed was the gap to the peloton, which was up to 1:15 by the time the Poggio was reached.

The field was still together for most of the climb. It wasn’t until a few hundred metres from the top when Pozzato and Rebellin tried their luck, but they were quickly brought back, leaving this year’s Primavera to the sprinters.

Results :
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Team Columbia – Highroad 6.42.45 (44,420 km/h)
2 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam
3 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Cervelo �lo TestTeam 0.02
4 Allan Davis (Aus) Quick Step
5 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
6 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas
7 Aitor Galdos (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
8 Enrico Rossi (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
9 Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
10 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram
11 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
12 Martin Elmiger (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
13 Greg van Avermaet (Bel) Silence-Lotto
14 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank
15 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
16 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
17 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
18 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
19 Julian Dean (NZl) Garmin – Slipstream
20 Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
21 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Rabobank
22 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Team Katusha
23 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Silence-Lotto
24 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Team Milram
25 Egoi Mart�nez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
26 Carlo Scognamiglio (Ita) Barloworld
27 Anthony Geslin (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
28 Beno�t Vaugrenard (Fra) Francaise �aise des Jeux
29 Juan Antonio Flecha (Spa) Rabobank
30 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) ISD
31 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin – Slipstream
32 Nick Nuyens (Bel) Rabobank
33 Andreas Klier (Ger) Cervelo TestTeam
34 Luis Le�n S�nchez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
35 Nicholas Roche (Irl) AG2R La Mondiale 0.07
36 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
37 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
38 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
39 George Hincapie (USA) Team Columbia – Highroad
40 Murilo Fischer (Bra) Liquigas 0.10
41 Luca Danilo Di (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini 0.14
42 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
43 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Quick Step
44 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas
45 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
46 Michele Scarponi (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
47 Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
48 J�rome Pineau (Fra) Quick Step
49 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
50 Stefano Garzelli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
51 Yoann Offredo (Fra) Fran Francaise aise des Jeux 0.22
52 Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana 0.53
53 Robert Hunter (RSA) Barloworld 1.03
54 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
55 Oscar Pereiro (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
56 Carlos Barredo (Spa) Quick Step
57 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Caisse d’Epargne
58 David Loosli (Swi) Lampre – N.G.C.
59 Imanol Erviti (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne 1.51
60 Gabriel Rasch (Nor) Cervelo TestTeam
61 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Silence-Lotto 3.53
62 Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
63 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana
64 William Frischkorn (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
65 Serguei Ivanov (Rus) Team Katusha 8.19
66 Marco Corti (Ita) Barloworld
67 Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha
68 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
69 Jos� Joaqu�n Rojas (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne Gil (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
70 Steve Chainel (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
71 Said Haddou (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
72 Alessandro Vanotti (Ita) Liquigas
73 Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
74 Josep Jufr� (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
75 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana
76 Serguei Klimov (Rus) Team Katusha
77 Arnaud Labbe (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
78 Aur�lien Clerc (Swi) AG2R La Mondiale
79 Rui Costa (Por) Caisse d’Epargne
80 Mikael Cherel (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
81 Ruggero Marzoli (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
82 Didac Ortega (Spa) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
83 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
84 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Team Katusha
85 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
86 Marco Velo (Ita) Quick Step
87 Johannes Fr�hlinger (Ger) Team Milram
88 Maurizio Biondo (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
89 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Team Saxo Bank
90 J�rgen Roelandts (Bel) Silence-Lotto
91 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis
92 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam
93 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Rabobank
94 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team Columbia – Highroad
95 S�bastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
96 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Columbia – Highroad
97 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
98 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha
99 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Francaise des Jeux
100 Leonardo Giordani (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
101 David De La Fuente (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
102 Iker Camano (Spa) Fuji-Servetto
103 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Cervelo TestTeam
104 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) ISD
105 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto
106 Vincent J�r�me (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
107 Thomas L�vkvist (Swe) Team Columbia – Highroad
108 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin – Slipstream
109 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Team Katusha
110 Marco Bandiera (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
111 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Team Columbia – Highroad
112 Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
113 Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Barloworld
114 Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d’Epargne
115 Bingen Fernandez (Spa) Cofidis
116 Patrick Calcagni (Swi) Barloworld
117 Diego Caccia (Ita) Barloworld
118 Massimo Codol (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
119 Dario Andriotto (Ita) Acqua & Sapone – Caffe Mokambo
120 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank
121 Felix Rafael Cardenas Ravalo (Col) Barloworld
122 Ivan Velasco (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
123 Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
124 Julien El Fares (Fra) Cofidis
125 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana
126 Dario Cioni (Ita) ISD
127 Oscar Gatto (Ita) ISD
128 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team Saxo Bank
129 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis
130 Ama�l Moinard (Fra) Cofidis
131 Xavier Florencio (Spa) Cervelo TestTeam
132 Joaqu�m Rodr�guez (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne
133 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Cervelo TestTeam
134 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank
135 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
136 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Silence-Lotto
137 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
138 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin – Slipstream
139 Tom Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
140 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Garmin – Slipstream 11.38
141 Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) AG2R La Mondiale
142 Dainius Kairelis (Ltu) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
143 Mickael Delage (Fra) Silence-Lotto
144 S�bastien Turgot (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
145 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Francaise des Jeux
146 S�bastien Minard (Fra) Cofidis
147 Herv� Duclos-Lassalle (Fra) Cofidis
148 Emanuale Bindi (Ita) Lampre – N.G.C.
149 Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
150 Cristiano Fumagalli (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
151 Wilfried Cretskens (Bel) Silence-Lotto 12.29
152 Leonardo Moser (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 12.30
153 Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram
154 Martin Velits (Svk) Team Milram
155 Gr�gory Rast (Swi) Astana
156 Pedro Horrillo (Spa) Rabobank
157 Andoni Lafuente (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
158 Michael Friedman (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
159 Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank
160 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld 12.33
161 Kasper Klostergaard Larsen (Den) Team Saxo Bank 12.35
162 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Francaise des Jeux
DNF Stuart O’Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Slipstream
DNF Rony Martias (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
DNF Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas
DNF Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Astana
DNF Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Rene Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Michael Sch�r (Swi) Astana
DNF Damien Gaudin (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom
DNF Filippo Simeoni (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
DNF Vladimir Duma (Ukr) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
DNF Alessandro Maserati (Ita) Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini Docce
DNF Alexandre Blain (Fra) Cofidis
DNF Luca Celli (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
DNF I�igo Landaluze (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF Daniele Nardello (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
DNF Davide Vigano (Ita) Fuji-Servetto
DNF Maxim Belkov (Rus) ISD
DNF Ian Stannard (GBr) ISD
DNF Oleksandr Kvachuk (Ukr) ISD
DNF Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Team Katusha
DNF Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Sebastian Lang (Ger) Silence-Lotto
DNF Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas
DNF Michael Barry (Can) Team Columbia – Highroad
DNF Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step
DNF Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) ISD
DNF Riccardo Chiarini (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
DNF Thomas Bertolini (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli
DNF Giairo Ermeti (Ita) LPR Brakes – Farnese Vini
DNF Josu Agirre (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team Columbia – Highroad
DNF Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team Milram