Milano-Sanremo 2012 [FULL RACE]

March 17, 2012

Milano-Sanremo 2012 – Milano – Sanremo : 298 km

The 2012 Milan-San Remo will showcase the cream of Classics talent as the peloton lines up in the shadow of Milan’s Castello Sforzesco on Saturday for the 103rd running of the famous event. All the pre-race favourites have meticulously planned their preparation for the ‘Primavera’ and are ready to take on the challenge of 298 kilometres of racing in what arguably is Italy’s most prestigious one-day race. The course, which takes almost seven hours to complete, is the longest Classic itinerary and while it has always been subject to minor changes, this year’s road book is the same as in 2011, when Matthew Goss took the victory on the Lungomare Italo Calvino, the seafront promenade in San Remo. Generally flat, the parcours still has its treacherous moments, especially towards the end of the race when the various ‘Capi’ of the Ligurian coastline provide perfect opportunities for the strongest men to attack.

Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) captured an enthralling Milan-San Remo, outsprinting Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack) and Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) at the end of the race. The three had gotten away on the final climb, the Poggio, and maintained a narrow lead to the end.

“I still haven’t realized what we actually did today,” said Gerrans. “This is an amazing feeling to win this monument. The team rode perfectly, and we played our cards just the right way.”

The first decisive moment in the race came on La Manie, as World Champion Mark Cavendish fell back, and despite the great efforts of his teammates and in particular Matt Hayman, he was unable to rejoin the favourites. The Cipressa, the penultimate climb, saw no changes, but as so often happens, the Poggio played the deciding role.

Several attacks were made but the key moment came as Nibali and Gerrans attacked close to the summit. Cancellara quickly joined them, and from then on there was little doubt as to the race’s outcome. The Swiss rider was unable to drop his companions though, either on the descent or the final flat run-in, and having led most for most of the finale, couldn’t summon up the last bit of strength to beat Gerrans.

“We rode as a team all day. The guys were always looking after one another and making sure that Gossy was in the right position at the key moments. Simon had free reign to cover any big moves, and he certainly did. Boys rode super today. I’m very, very proud, ” said GreenEdge’s Matt White.

A moment of silence

The race started with a minute’s silence for the victims of the coach crash in Switzerland earlier this week.

But the racing began when a group of nine got away 21 kilometers into the race: Cheng Ji (Project 1t4i), Juan Pablo Suarez (Colombia-Coldeportes), Dmitriy Gruzdev (Astana), Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF), Vergard Stake Laengen (Team Type 1), Juan Jose Oroz (Euskaltel), Pierpaolo De Negri (Farnese Vini), Michael Mørkøv (Saxo Bank) and Oleg Berdos (UtensilNord). Their advantage ran out to 13 minutes.

With just under 100 kilometers to go, La Manie loomed, and as GreenEdge and Liquigas set the pace, the most notable victim was none other than Cavendish, who fell off the back of the field. Bernhard Eisel worked long and hard to try and bring his Sky teammate back up, while those at the head of the field increased their speed.

A serious crash with about 78 kilometers to go saw Carlos Quintero (Colombia Coldeportes) carried into an ambulance with suspected head injuries.

Eventually a group formed around Cavendish – he was not the only one to suffer – but even that proved futile.

BMC moved to the front and along with Omega Pharma-Quick Step kept the pace high. Philippe Gilbert put in a turn or two at the front, looking very comfortable.

With 60 kilometers to go, the break was caught by the chasing field. Behind them, and some 10 kilometers later, Cavendish called off the chase. He thanked his teammates for their work.

Favourites charge up Cipressa

BMC led the charge up the Cipressa, with Liquigas moving in to help. As they neared the top, the expected attacks came. The first to go was Francisco Javier Villa of UtensilNord-Named, with Vacansoleil’s Johnny Hoogerland catching him. They gradually pulled away, causing Liquigas to pick up its speed again.

A crash with 22 kilometers to go took down Philippe Gilbert, amongst others. The Belgian champion was back on his bike again quickly but his chances of victory were over.

Hoogerland led the way on the descent, but the chasers were catching up. By the time they hit the bottom, a group including Tom Boonen, Cancellara and Daniele Oss came up and caught the two escapees.

The favourites all re-grouped on the seven flat kilometers between the Cipressa and the Poggio. Rabobank jumped into the lead with 11 to go, setting a blistering pace as they headed up the climb. Valerio Agnoli of Liquigas jumped out of the field, soon followed by Movistar’s Angel Madrazo, as Rabo kept pace.

Madrazo pulled away from Agnoli on the steep, twisting climb. Hoogerland jumped again and Agnoli fell back into the field. Nibali and Gerrans were the next to go and quickly took the lead, with the Italian giving his all. Cancellara joined them, and the three forced a gap as they hit the sharp left hand turn which started the dizzying final descent.

The four-time World time trial champion had a few meters on his companions as they hit the bottom but he didn’t pull away, as expected. The trio took a 12 second lead into the final two kilometers, with Katusha leading the furious chase.

Cancellara led out the sprint but Gerrans moved around to the right to take it by a nose, the second Australian victory in a row. A crash in the chasing field within sight of the finish line saw Omega Pharma-Quick Step’s Trentin hit the barriers. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) won the sprint of the field, with John Degenkolb of Project 1t4i rounding out the top five.

Results :
1 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team 6:59:24
2 Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Radioshack-Nissan
3 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
4 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:02
5 John Degenkolb (Ger) Project 1T4I
6 Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
7 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Katusha Team
8 Alessandro Ballan (Ita) BMC Racing Team
9 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
10 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Radioshack-Nissan
11 Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Katusha Team
12 Luca Paolini (Ita) Katusha Team 0:00:12
13 Simon Geschke (Ger) Project 1T4I
14 Oscar Gatto (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
15 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team 0:00:20
16 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team
17 Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team
18 Francisco José Ventoso Alberdi (Spa) Movistar Team
19 Koen De Kort (Ned) Project 1T4I
20 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
21 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
22 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
23 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
24 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
25 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling
26 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
27 Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
28 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Movistar Team
29 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
30 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Sky Procycling
31 Matti Breschel (Den) Rabobank Cycling Team
32 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
33 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
34 Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
35 Francesco Reda (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
36 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Movistar Team
37 Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
38 Angel Vicioso Arcos (Spa) Katusha Team
39 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
40 Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Greenedge Cycling Team
41 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
42 Simone Ponzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
43 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre – ISD
44 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox 0:00:31
45 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:05
46 Patxi Javier Vila Errandonea (Spa) Utensilnord Named 0:01:24
47 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
48 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:35
49 Francesco Failli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
50 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
51 Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
52 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team 0:01:48
53 Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat
54 Tony Gallopin (Fra) Radioshack-Nissan
55 José Herrada Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
56 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
57 Andrey Amador Bakkazakova (CRc) Movistar Team
58 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Lampre – ISD
59 Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – ISD
60 Nicki Sörensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
61 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team
62 Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
63 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
64 Gustav Larsson (Swe) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
65 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team Saxo Bank
66 Elia Favilli (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
67 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
68 Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin – Barracuda
69 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:02:20
70 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:02:41
71 Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
72 Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Team Saxo Bank
73 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:44
74 Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo Bank 0:03:23
75 Kiel Reijnen (USA) Team Type 1 – Sanofi 0:03:27
76 Rémi Cusin (Fra) Team Type 1 – Sanofi 0:03:39
77 William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat 0:04:09
78 Grégory Rast (Swi) Radioshack-Nissan 0:04:44
79 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Radioshack-Nissan
80 Steve Chainel (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
81 Johan Van Summeren (Bel) Garmin – Barracuda 0:05:37
82 Borut Bozic (Slo) Astana Pro Team 0:07:37
83 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:07:43
84 Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
85 Jon Izaguirre Insausti (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
86 Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
87 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) BMC Racing Team
88 Kristijan Koren (Slo) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:09:28
89 Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
90 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team
91 Frederik Willems (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
92 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
93 Kevin Hulsmans (Bel) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
94 Baden Cooke (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team
95 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team
96 Paolo Bailetti (Ita) Utensilnord Named
97 Juan Pablo Suarez Suarez (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
98 Michael Morkov (Den) Team Saxo Bank
99 Andreas Klier (Ger) Garmin – Barracuda
100 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha Team 0:14:39
101 Frederico Rocchetti (Ita) Utensilnord Named 0:15:54
102 Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia 0:17:04
103 Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Lotto Belisol Team 0:20:18
104 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Belisol Team
105 Robert Hunter (RSA) Garmin – Barracuda
106 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
107 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin – Barracuda
108 Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
109 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin – Barracuda
110 Robert Wagner (Ger) Radioshack-Nissan
111 Hayden Roulston (NZl) Radioshack-Nissan
112 David Millar (GBr) Garmin – Barracuda
113 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
114 Murilo Antonio Fischer (Bra) Garmin – Barracuda
115 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Movistar Team
116 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Radioshack-Nissan
117 Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
118 Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
119 Peter Velits (Svk) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
120 Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
121 Jeffry Johan Romero Corredor (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
122 Oleg Berdos (Mda) Utensilnord Named
123 Juan Pablo Forero Carreno (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
124 Filippo Baggio (Ita) Utensilnord Named
125 Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
126 Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
127 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
128 Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
129 Arnaud Gerard (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
130 Manuel Belletti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
131 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha Team
132 Pablo Urtasun Perez (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
133 Mikel Landa Meana (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
134 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
135 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 – Sanofi
136 Julien El Fares (Fra) Team Type 1 – Sanofi
137 Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Type 1 – Sanofi
138 Tom Veelers (Ned) Project 1T4I
139 Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Project 1T4I
140 Cheng Ji (Chn) Project 1T4I
141 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Belisol Team
142 Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
143 Diego Caccia (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
144 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Farnese Vini – Selle Italia
145 Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:23:02
146 Kristof Goddaert (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale
147 Marco Coledan (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
148 Gianluca Maggiore (Ita) Utensilnord Named
149 Daniele Righi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF Stuart O’grady (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team
DNF Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu) Greenedge Cycling Team
DNF Svein Tuft (Can) Greenedge Cycling Team
DNF Matthew Wilson (Aus) Greenedge Cycling Team
DNF Claudio Corioni (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (Col) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Paolo Ciavatta (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Francesco Ginanni (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Fabio Taborre (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
DNF Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana Pro Team
DNF Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
DNF Franck Osorio (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
DNF Luis Felipe Laverde Jimenez (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
DNF Victor Hugo Pena Grisales (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
DNF Carlos Julian Quintero (Col) Colombia – Coldeportes
DNF Marco Canola (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
DNF Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
DNF Paolo Locatelli (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
DNF Angelo Pagani (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
DNF Filippo Savini (Ita) Colnago – Csf Inox
DNF Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Amets Txurruka (Spa) Euskaltel – Euskadi
DNF Gabriel Rasch (Nor) FDJ-Big Mat
DNF Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team
DNF Simon Spilak (Slo) Katusha Team
DNF Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre – ISD
DNF Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre – ISD
DNF Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF Paolo Longo Borghini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
DNF Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Belisol Team
DNF Matteo Trentin (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
DNF Roy Curvers (Ned) Project 1T4I
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1T4I
DNF Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
DNF Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
DNF Mark Cavendish (GBr) Sky Procycling
DNF Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Sky Procycling
DNF Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Procycling
DNF Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Sky Procycling
DNF Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
DNF Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling
DNF Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
DNF David Tanner (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
DNF Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) Utensilnord Named
DNF Matteo Fedi (Ita) Utensilnord Named
DNF Daniele Colli (Ita) Team Type 1 – Sanofi
DNF Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor) Team Type 1 – Sanofi
DNF Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Type 1 – Sanofi