Milano-Sanremo: Jasper Stuyven surprises the favorites with late solo dash

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.”

What an attack, what a win. Jasper Stuyven, that was superb 👏🙇🏻‍♂️
_________
🇮🇹 #MilanoSanremo pic.twitter.com/YmM3mWFfSn

— Velon CC (@VelonCC) March 20, 2021

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

— Lidl-Trek (@LidlTrek) 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.