Milan-San Remo

March 17, 2013

Title Defender Gerrans Wins Point d’Appui at Milan-San Remo

Simon Gerrans during the 2012 Tour Down Under.

Simon Gerrans during the 2012 Tour Down Under.

Simon Gerrans, winner of the 2012 Milan-San Remo spring classic, finished at the center of the pack, what was left of it, to win the Point d’Appui in the 2013 Milan-San Remo race. Snow atop one of the mountain passes forced race organizers to stop the race, bus riders to a second starting point and restart after more than an hour delay, leaving surviving riders a bit colder in what was already quite a cold ride.

Aside from winning Milan-San Remo in 2012, Gerrans was also the National Road Race of Australia in 2012 as well as the Tour Down Under for the second time. He has also won individual stages in the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a Espana. Obviously he was a bit off his game today, as were many racers due to the weather. His teammate, Matthew Goss, who won Milan-San Remo in 2011, was one of more than 60 riders to abandon the race Sunday.

Gerrans finished 5 minutes and 13 seconds behind the winner, Gerald Ciolek of MTN-Qhubeka, and 13 minutes and 12 seconds ahead of the Lanterne Rouge, Vladimir Isaichev of Katusha.

The rider with the time closest to the median was the Italian rider Marco Bandiera of IAM Cycling.

March 17, 2012

American Reijnen Finishes Fulcrum at Milan-San Remo

Kiel Reijnen of Team Type 1-Sanofi finished as the Point d’Appui of this year’s Milan-San Remo Classic. He finished just 3:27 behind the winner, Austrian Simon Gerrans of the Greenedge Cycling Team, who won the race with a time of 6:59.24.

Hear an interview with Reijnen after the race at 303 Cycling. UPDATE: Reijnen finished third at the U.S.A. Nationals in May.

The Lanterne Rouge was Italian Daniele Righi, riding for Colnago-CSF Inox; +20:18

Most years, an even number of riders compete in the Milan-San Remo Classic, and an even number of riders finish the race, meaning that a point d’appui cannot be awarded. Occasionally, though, an odd number of riders have either competed or finished, leading to the following fulcrum list:

  • 2012 — Kiel Reijnen (USA), Team Type 1-Sanofi
  • 2010 — Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
  • 2005 — Jan Boven (Ned) Rabobank
  • 2001 — Paolo Fornaciari (Ita) Mapei-Quick Step
  • 2000 — Denis Zanette (Ita)
  • 1997 — Nicola Minali (Ita)
  • 1996 — Orlando Rodrigues (Por)
  • 1991 — Adriano Baffi (Ita)
  • 1988 — Jesus Rodriguez-Magro (Esp)
  • 1985 — Ludo Peeters (Bel)