At 9:45am (local time) 199 riders started the race in Milano. Tinkoff's Alberto Loddo got sick over night and wasn't
able to start.
Filippo Savini (CSF Group Navigare), Nicola D'Andrea (Miche), Raivis Belohbosciks (Saunier Duval), and William Frischkorn
(Slipstream) took off after 35 kilometres. The escapees had a maximum lead of almost seventeen minutes. The bunch started
the chase and the lead of Frischkorn & co was slowly getting smaller and smaller.
With 94 kilometres to go Austrian rider Bernahrd Kohl (Gerolsteiner) attacked at the Le Mànie climb. Kohl didn't
get away but it was the start of the final part of the race. Rabobank's sports director Erik Breukink also realized that Le
Mànie had been an important obstacle in the course. "That climb did a lot. Many sprinters and many team mates of sprinters
had a hard time there." At the moment of Kohl's attack the four escapees still had a lead of nine minutes. After the descent
of the climb the escapees had only five minutes left.
Nicola D'Andrea paid the price for his hard work in the breakaway group and was dropped by the other three race leaders.
Soon after that D'Andrea was swallowed by the chasing bunch. The lead went down to 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
With a little bit more than 50 kilometres to go Tinkoff's Ivan Rovny attacked out of the bunch. He had a slight lead
on the bunch. At the Capo Berto some riders were dropped by the bunch, but the big players all managed to stay on
board.
After an attack of 233 kilometres, the breakaway group was caught at the Cipressa. One of the escapees, Slipstream's
William Frischkorn said after the race: “For my first Milan-San Remo, I couldn’t have imagined a cooler day.
Riding out front through the never-ending crowds and unreal scenery along the coast was an experience I won’t forget.”
“And for the powertap geeks out there, how’s 6600 kjs sound? Ouch!” Frischkorn continued. “Now
for a quick trip home and a few days of serious recovery,” concluded a happy Frischkorn.
Immediately after the three remaining escapees were caught, World Champion Paolo Bettini (Quickstep) attacked. High Road's
Thomas Lökvist jumped to Bettini. A little bit later they were joined by Niklas Axelsson (Diquigiovanni) and Paris
- Nice winner Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner).
The bunch was split into several groups at the Cipressa. More and more riders were dropped after 270 kilometres of racing.
Paolo 'Il Falco' Savoldelli (LPR) showed why he became his nickname. The two time winner of the Giro d'Italia jumped
to the four race leaders at the descend of the Cipressa.
Liquigas didn't like the break and organised the chase. The now five race leaders were caught at the flat section before
the final climb, the Poggio.
The final 15 kilomtres were full of exiting attacks. Diquigiovanni's Alessandro Bertolini was the first rider to attack
on the Poggio. Several of the race favourites joined him. On the descent a leading group of around 15 riders was formed, including
Fabian Cancellara (Team CSC), Enrico Gasparotto (Barloworld), Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner), Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas),
Iñigo Landaluze (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Oscar Freire (Rabobank), Philippe Gilbert (Française des Jeux) and Thor Hushovd (Crédit
Agricole).
With two kilomtres to go Cancellara attacked out of the front group. None of the other favourites were able to
keep up on the descent or the flat stretch just before the finish line, when the Swiss CSC rider turned up the volume to the
max and showed why he has won the World Time Trial Championship two years in a row.
Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas) came in second and Philippe Gilbert (Francaise des Jeux) completed the podium.
