Milan - San Remo

Milan-San Remo 2024: Key details

Milan-San Remo 2024 is the first Monument of the year, and is one of the most exciting and prestigious races of the season.

Also known as 'La Primavera' due to its spring slot and also as one of the 'sprinters' classics' (the other being Paris-Tours), because of its fastman-friendly finish in San Remo's Via Roma.

It was inaugurated in 1907, when it was won by Frenchman Lucien Petit-Breton. Since then it has been won by many of cycling's biggest stars, Eddy Merckx being the most prolific with seven wins between 1966 and 1976. 

It's quite an open race, in that it can be won by a punchy climber, a bunch sprinter, or even a great descender. It's difficult to predict, but the latter is a tactic that worked well for Vincenzo Nibali in 2018, and Matej Mohorič in 2022, who used a dropper seatpost for an edge on that final downhill. 

A women's version – the Primavera Rosa – took place between 1999 to 2005, but was cancelled by the UCI in 2006. It is now looking like there will be a return for this race, with a Milan-San Remo Donne on the horizon.

Key info: Route and start list | How to watch

Official Milan-San Remo website

twitter: @milano_sanremo

Milan-San Remo 2024: The route

For 2024, the race will start for the first time in Pavia, south of its usual partenza in Milan, meaning it breaks with tradition to dip under 290km. The peloton will trace 44km out of the town, before joining the Monument's traditional route in Casteggio, and setting out for the first climb of the day, the Passo del Turchino, 150km from the finish. 

From there, the route traces the coast down to San Remo, with its tried and tested finale. First, the riders will tackle the Tre Capi - the Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta - three lumps that kickstart the run-in. Then come the real launchpad climbs; the Cipressa, summited with 22km to go, and the Poggio, with 6km to go. A windy descent onto San Remo's Via Roma will decide the winner. 

Milan-San Remo: Past winners

2023: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
2022: Matej Mohorič (Slo) Bahrain Victorious
2021: Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo
2020: Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma
2019: Julian Alaphillipe (Fra) Deceuninck–Quick-Step
2018: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
2017: Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky
2016: Arnaud Démare (Fra) FDJ
2015: John Degenkolb (Ger) Giant-Alpecin
2014: Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
2013: Gerald Ciolek (Ger) MTN-Qhubeka
2012: Simon Gerrans (Aus) GreenEdge
2011: Matt Goss (Aus) HTC-Highroad
2010: Oscar Freire (Spa) Rabobank
2009: Mark Cavendish (GBr) Columbia-Highroad
2008: Fabian Cancellara (Sui) CSC