Milan- Sanremo – The Classic Photo Gallery

PeloPics: Just because Milan-Sanremo isn’t running this Saturday doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy ‘La Classicissima’. So here is a ‘Best Of’ Sanremo photo gallery. It was a tough job sifting through the Cor Vos collection, but these pics stuck out for different reasons. Enjoy!

That break will not be out front for much longer

From the city to the coast – Olano, Martin, Kivilev and Bodrogi get to the Mediterranean first

1982 saw a two man break go all they way to the finish – Alan Bondue crashed on the descent of the Poggio and Marc Gomez took the win

Marc Sergeant and Eddy Planckaert were amongst the chasers

In 1983 Giuseppi Saronni won solo 44 seconds ahead of Guido Bontempi and the peloton – TI-Raleigh worked hard for Jan Raas, but he finished 3rd

Hennie Kuiper and his teammate Tuen van Vliet broke away for Kuiper to win by 8 seconds

Kuiper – Solo winner in ’85

Alexi Grewal epitomizing the idea of looking cool and relaxed while racing a bike – Sean Yates behind him

Steve Bauer and Steven Rooks attacked together during the 1986 race

Greg Lemond sees Sean Kelly on his way – Lemond 2nd and Mario Beccia 3rd

Kelly took the first of his two Sanremo wins

Sean Kelly looks tired on his day of glory in 1986. He would win the race a second time in 1992

Erich Maechler won 6 seconds ahead of Eric Vanderaerden and 8 on the peloton in 1997

Greg Lemond at the start in 1989

Not many smiles in the peloton

Laurent Fignon doubled in ’88 and ’89

The PDM team of Kelly, Rooks and Alcala

On the Poggio, Italian Classics specialist Maurizio Fondriest broke clear, followed by Laurent Jalabert in 1995

Jalabert had no problem in the sprint

In 1997 Eric Zabel took his first of four Sanremo wins – Behind him it was carnage

Michaelsen (TVM); Sciandri (FDJ) and Jalabert (ONCE) hit the tarmac

It was all a bit much for the German

Milan-Sanremo was probably not the race for Marco Pantani, but he was on the start line on a few occasions

Paulo Bettini won in 2003 – Here he is attacking on the Poggio in 1998

One of the classiest riders ever – Michele Bartoli in the World Cup leaders jersey in 1999

Bettini, Wauters and Bartoli leading in 2001

The Cipressa can be decisive

2004 saw Eric Zabel take his last of four Sanremo wins

One of the tunnels on the way to the coast

Mario Cipollini out-sprinted US champion Fred Rodriguez in 2002

Cipo happy with his trophy

Zabel thought he had his fifth Sanremo win – Óscar Freire swooped under his victory salute for the first of his three wins

The peloton hits the coast and the finish is not too far off

# Keep tuned to PEZ for some more Milan-Sanremo ‘retro’. #