Milano-Sanremo: Jasper Stuyven surprises the favorites with late solo dash
Caleb Ewan sprints to second place, with Wout van Aert third after Jasper Stuyven bold attack off the base of the Poggio.
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Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) surprised the favorites with a late winning attack to take Milano-Sanremo on Saturday.
The Belgian punched clear shortly after the bottom of the descent of the Poggio to go away from an elite group before launching the time trial of his life to hold off the pursuit. The 28-year-old came to the line just meters ahead of Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Soudal) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who took second and third place, respectively, in the gallop for podium places. Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) came fourth.
“It’s the biggest win of my career,” Stuyven said. “The boys put me in perfect position, but the legs were empty in the end, but if you win by one centimeter it’s enough.”
Pre-race favorites Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) finished fifth and Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-Quick-Step) finished 16th, at the back of the pack that had chased after Stuyven.
Styuven’s win came after a week of speculation about the “big three” of van Aert, Alaphilippe and van der Poel.
“There are three guys who are really strong, and everyone was talking about them, but that didn’t mean we were not going to race for the win,” Stuyven said. “We had a plan, and I felt good all day. I had to try all-or-nothing, because if I go to the line [for a sprint], I would finish in 10th or 12th. Maybe eight out of 10 times, we have nothing, but it’s amazing.”
https://twitter.com/VelonCC/status/1373303146471161857
Stuyven made his move with little more than two kilometers to the line after a bunch of around 18 reached the base of the Poggio descent together. The Trek-Segafredo rider dashed away with a Fabian Cancellara-esque acceleration no one was expecting, and the group hesitated in launching a chase. Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and then Søren Kragh Andersen (DSM) were the first to counter, with Kragh Andersen able to bridge across to the charging race leader.
Kragh and Stuyven hit the finish straight together as the bunch behind began launching a desperate late sprint behind. Stuyven’s chances looked to be over as the chasers loomed over his shoulder, but was able to hold out to win by a bike-length.
No words.
Just watch.#MilanoSanremo pic.twitter.com/X7U3RWyIJp— Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) March 20, 2021
Poggio showdown
Stuyven had stayed toward the front of the race through the final as he and teammate Vincenzo Nibali waited for their chances. Ineos Grenadiers towed a reduced peloton into the decisive Poggio climb at nine kilometers to go, with Filippo Ganna pressing the pace hard through the opening kilometers.
In a throwback to 2020, Alaphilippe lit up the action at 6.5km to go, with van Aert first to respond. The duo almost went clear, but van der Poel shadowed the move seconds later, bringing a small group together at the top of the climb.
Van Aert pulled the leaders through the upper slopes of the climb as Ewan hung on, holding out hopes for a bunch sprint. Tom Pidcock pushed the pace through the descent to briefly split the group, but the bunch came back together to set up Stuyven for his winning dash.

Jumbo-Visma controls the Cipressa
Defending champion van Aert had set his teammates to work to crank the pace and control the bunch on the Cipressa after archrival van der Poel had speculated about using the climb as a launchpad earlier in the week. The pace shed several of the heavy sprinters as van der Poel opted to cool his jets around 10-wheels back.
Eight-man break goes long
The break of eight formed in the opening minutes and soon went clear, with Nicola Conci (Trek-Segafredo), Andrea Peron and Charles Planet (both Team Novo Nordisk), Mattia Viel and Filippo Tagliani (both Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec), Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Taco van der Hoorn (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert) and Mathias Norsgaard (Movistar) in the move.
The longest-lasting escapee enjoyed some 275km of air time at the front of the race before being swept up by the charging peloton on the slopes of the Cipressa.
Milano-Sanremo Results
Stage | Rank | Name | Team | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | STUYVEN Jasper | Trek - Segafredo | 6:38:06 |
2 | EWAN Caleb | Lotto Soudal | 0:00 |
3 | VAN AERT Wout | Team Jumbo-Visma | 0:00 |
4 | SAGAN Peter | BORA - hansgrohe | 0:00 |
5 | VAN DER POEL Mathieu | Alpecin-Fenix | 0:00 |
6 | MATTHEWS Michael | Team BikeExchange | 0:00 |
7 | ARANBURU Alex | Astana - Premier Tech | 0:00 |
8 | COLBRELLI Sonny | Bahrain - Victorious | 0:00 |
9 | KRAGH ANDERSEN Søren | Team DSM | 0:00 |
10 | TURGIS Anthony | Team Total Direct Energie | 0:00 |
11 | MOHORIČ Matej | Bahrain - Victorious | 0:00 |
12 | TRENTIN Matteo | UAE Team Emirates | 0:00 |
13 | VAN AVERMAET Greg | AG2R Citroën Team | 0:00 |
14 | SCHACHMANN Maximilian | BORA - hansgrohe | 0:00 |
15 | PIDCOCK Thomas | INEOS Grenadiers | 0:00 |
16 | ALAPHILIPPE Julian | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 0:00 |
17 | KWIATKOWSKI Michał | INEOS Grenadiers | 0:00 |
18 | NIZZOLO Giacomo | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 0:06 |
19 | BOUHANNI Nacer | Team Arkéa Samsic | 0:06 |
20 | ACKERMANN Pascal | BORA - hansgrohe | 0:06 |
21 | NAESEN Oliver | AG2R Citroën Team | 0:06 |
22 | LAPORTE Christophe | Cofidis | 0:06 |
23 | VENDRAME Andrea | AG2R Citroën Team | 0:06 |
24 | VERMEERSCH Gianni | Alpecin-Fenix | 0:06 |
25 | SERRANO Gonzalo | Movistar Team | 0:06 |
26 | DÉMARE Arnaud | Groupama - FDJ | 0:06 |
27 | BARDET Romain | Team DSM | 0:06 |
28 | STANNARD Robert | Team BikeExchange | 0:06 |
29 | SIMON Julien | Team Total Direct Energie | 0:06 |
30 | GARCÍA CORTINA Iván | Movistar Team | 0:06 |
31 | VAN BAARLE Dylan | INEOS Grenadiers | 0:06 |
32 | DEGENKOLB John | Lotto Soudal | 0:06 |
33 | OSS Daniel | BORA - hansgrohe | 0:06 |
34 | FORMOLO Davide | UAE Team Emirates | 0:10 |
35 | NIBALI Vincenzo | Trek - Segafredo | 0:10 |
36 | HIGUITA Sergio | EF Education - Nippo | 0:10 |
37 | ŠTYBAR Zdeněk | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 0:12 |
38 | CLARKE Simon | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 0:18 |
39 | COVI Alessandro | UAE Team Emirates | 0:21 |
40 | ROTA Lorenzo | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 0:29 |
41 | BALLERINI Davide | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 0:29 |
42 | BENNETT Sam | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 0:29 |
43 | CIMOLAI Davide | Israel Start-Up Nation | 0:29 |
44 | BARGUIL Warren | Team Arkéa Samsic | 0:29 |
45 | IZAGIRRE Gorka | Astana - Premier Tech | 0:29 |
46 | FELLINE Fabio | Astana - Premier Tech | 0:29 |
47 | DE GENDT Aimé | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 0:29 |
48 | FIORELLI Filippo | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 0:29 |
49 | MEZGEC Luka | Team BikeExchange | 0:29 |
50 | GENIETS Kevin | Groupama - FDJ | 0:29 |
51 | MARENGO Umberto | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 0:29 |
52 | VALGREN Michael | EF Education - Nippo | 0:29 |
53 | MARTIN Guillaume | Cofidis | 0:29 |
54 | LAMPAERT Yves | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 0:29 |
55 | CARUSO Damiano | Bahrain - Victorious | 0:29 |
56 | MOSCA Jacopo | Trek - Segafredo | 1:21 |
57 | VLIEGEN Loïc | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 1:28 |
58 | WIŚNIOWSKI Łukasz | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 1:28 |
59 | RUSSO Clément | Team Arkéa Samsic | 1:38 |
60 | RUMAC Josip | Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | 1:38 |
61 | SBARAGLI Kristian | Alpecin-Fenix | 1:38 |
62 | CORT Magnus | EF Education - Nippo | 1:38 |
63 | BONIFAZIO Niccolò | Team Total Direct Energie | 1:38 |
64 | GANNA Filippo | INEOS Grenadiers | 1:38 |
65 | SOBRERO Matteo | Astana - Premier Tech | 1:38 |
66 | KONOVALOVAS Ignatas | Groupama - FDJ | 1:38 |
67 | HOFSTETTER Hugo | Israel Start-Up Nation | 1:38 |
68 | BATTAGLIN Enrico | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 1:38 |
69 | VIVIANI Elia | Cofidis | 1:45 |
70 | OOMEN Sam | Team Jumbo-Visma | 1:45 |
71 | BURGHARDT Marcus | BORA - hansgrohe | 1:45 |
72 | GILBERT Philippe | Lotto Soudal | 1:45 |
73 | ZANA Filippo | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 1:45 |
74 | SIMMONS Quinn | Trek - Segafredo | 1:45 |
75 | SKUJIŅŠ Toms | Trek - Segafredo | 1:45 |
76 | GOGL Michael | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 1:45 |
77 | SWIFT Ben | INEOS Grenadiers | 1:45 |
78 | WELLENS Tim | Lotto Soudal | 2:39 |
79 | TUSVELD Martijn | Team DSM | 2:39 |
80 | ROOSEN Timo | Team Jumbo-Visma | 2:39 |
81 | CAMPENAERTS Victor | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 2:39 |
82 | DE MARCHI Alessandro | Israel Start-Up Nation | 2:51 |
83 | PONOMAR Andrii | Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | 3:00 |
84 | DURBRIDGE Luke | Team BikeExchange | 3:12 |
85 | OLIVEIRA Nelson | Movistar Team | 3:13 |
86 | VILLELLA Davide | Movistar Team | 3:13 |
87 | PASQUALON Andrea | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 3:13 |
88 | MCLAY Daniel | Team Arkéa Samsic | 3:13 |
89 | KRISTOFF Alexander | UAE Team Emirates | 3:13 |
90 | DEWULF Stan | AG2R Citroën Team | 3:13 |
91 | MAS Lluís | Movistar Team | 3:13 |
92 | KOCH Jonas | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 3:13 |
93 | BENEDETTI Cesare | BORA - hansgrohe | 3:13 |
94 | PUCCIO Salvatore | INEOS Grenadiers | 3:13 |
95 | VAN EMDEN Jos | Team Jumbo-Visma | 3:13 |
96 | GUARNIERI Jacopo | Groupama - FDJ | 3:13 |
97 | PÉRICHON Pierre-Luc | Cofidis | 4:30 |
98 | DE BONDT Dries | Alpecin-Fenix | 5:02 |
99 | ASGREEN Kasper | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 5:02 |
100 | SCHÄR Michael | AG2R Citroën Team | 5:02 |
101 | KLUGE Roger | Lotto Soudal | 5:15 |
102 | DE BUYST Jasper | Lotto Soudal | 5:15 |
103 | BISSEGGER Stefan | EF Education - Nippo | 6:25 |
104 | MARTINELLI Davide | Astana - Premier Tech | 7:14 |
105 | CONCI Nicola | Trek - Segafredo | 7:14 |
106 | TONELLI Alessandro | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 7:14 |
107 | BRÄNDLE Matthias | Israel Start-Up Nation | 7:14 |
108 | BYSTRØM Sven Erik | UAE Team Emirates | 7:14 |
109 | BETTIOL Alberto | EF Education - Nippo | 7:14 |
110 | SCOTSON Miles | Groupama - FDJ | 7:14 |
111 | CHIRICO Luca | Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | 7:14 |
112 | VAN DER HOORN Taco | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 7:14 |
113 | GAVIRIA Fernando | UAE Team Emirates | 7:14 |
114 | SÜTTERLIN Jasha | Team DSM | 7:14 |
115 | ROCHE Nicolas | Team DSM | 7:14 |
116 | GRUZDEV Dmitriy | Astana - Premier Tech | 7:14 |
117 | ARASHIRO Yukiya | Bahrain - Victorious | 7:14 |
118 | ROWE Luke | INEOS Grenadiers | 7:14 |
119 | VERGAERDE Otto | Alpecin-Fenix | 7:56 |
120 | PEDERSEN Casper | Team DSM | 7:56 |
121 | VINJEBO Emil Mielke | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 7:56 |
122 | VENCHIARUTTI Nicola | Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | 7:56 |
123 | COMBAUD Romain | Team DSM | 7:56 |
124 | BOARO Manuele | Astana - Premier Tech | 7:56 |
125 | NORSGAARD Mathias | Movistar Team | 7:56 |
126 | SABATINI Fabio | Cofidis | 7:56 |
127 | FRISON Frederik | Lotto Soudal | 7:56 |
128 | PICCOLI James | Israel Start-Up Nation | 7:56 |
129 | MULLEN Ryan | Trek - Segafredo | 7:56 |
130 | JUUL-JENSEN Christopher | Team BikeExchange | 7:59 |
131 | LANGEVELD Sebastian | EF Education - Nippo | 7:59 |
132 | VAKOČ Petr | Alpecin-Fenix | 7:59 |
133 | HEPBURN Michael | Team BikeExchange | 10:30 |
134 | KONYCHEV Alexander | Team BikeExchange | 10:30 |
135 | TRATNIK Jan | Bahrain - Victorious | 10:30 |
136 | GOUGEARD Alexis | AG2R Citroën Team | 10:30 |
137 | BOASSON HAGEN Edvald | Team Total Direct Energie | 10:30 |
138 | CAPIOT Amaury | Team Arkéa Samsic | 10:30 |
139 | TERPSTRA Niki | Team Total Direct Energie | 10:30 |
140 | VAN HOECKE Gijs | AG2R Citroën Team | 10:30 |
141 | BODNAR Maciej | BORA - hansgrohe | 10:30 |
142 | LINDEMAN Bert-Jan | Team Qhubeka ASSOS | 10:30 |
143 | KUSZTOR Péter | Team Novo Nordisk | 10:30 |
144 | TORRES Albert | Movistar Team | 10:30 |
145 | SAGIV Guy | Israel Start-Up Nation | 10:30 |
146 | SCULLY Tom | EF Education - Nippo | 10:30 |
147 | RICHEZE Maximiliano | UAE Team Emirates | 10:30 |
148 | WRIGHT Fred | Bahrain - Victorious | 10:30 |
149 | PETIT Adrien | Team Total Direct Energie | 10:58 |
150 | VISCONTI Giovanni | Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè | 10:58 |
151 | DECLERCQ Tim | Deceuninck - Quick Step | 10:58 |
152 | VANBILSEN Kenneth | Cofidis | 10:58 |
153 | VIVIANI Attilio | Cofidis | 10:58 |
154 | VANSPEYBROUCK Pieter | Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux | 10:58 |
155 | SINKELDAM Ramon | Groupama - FDJ | 10:58 |
156 | MANZIN Lorrenzo | Team Total Direct Energie | 10:58 |
157 | HAUSSLER Heinrich | Bahrain - Victorious | 10:58 |
158 | AFFINI Edoardo | Team Jumbo-Visma | 13:17 |
159 | PFINGSTEN Christoph | Team Jumbo-Visma | 14:55 |
160 | GUERNALEC Thibault | Team Arkéa Samsic | 14:55 |
161 | LEYSEN Senne | Alpecin-Fenix | 14:55 |
162 | DAVY Clément | Groupama - FDJ | 16:33 |
163 | MARTENS Paul | Team Jumbo-Visma | 16:33 |
164 | LOZANO David | Team Novo Nordisk | 18:06 |
165 | POLI Umberto | Team Novo Nordisk | 19:37 |
166 | TAGLIANI Filippo | Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec | 19:37 |
167 | BRAND Sam | Team Novo Nordisk | 19:37 |
168 | PERON Andrea | Team Novo Nordisk | 19:37 |
169 | PLANET Charles | Team Novo Nordisk | 19:37 |
Results provided by ProCyclingStats.