Vincenzo Nibali wins the classic Milan-Sanremo

The BAHRAIN MERIDA PRO CYCLING TEAM entered the classic Milan-Sanremo with a strong lineup. Vincenzo Nibali crowned the strong team performance in the final with an attack that brought him his second victory in one of cycling's monuments.

In terms of topography, the Milan-Sanremo spring classic may not be the most difficult race. But because there are 294 kilometers to cover between the northern Italian business metropolis and the spa town on the Ligurian coast, this race places its own unique demands on the starters. After a poor performance in the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, the BAHRAIN MERIDA PRO CYCLING TEAM was out to make amends. The riders in red, gold and dark blue were able to play several trump cards: With Vincenzo Nibali and Matej Mohoric, the team had two strong riders who could come to success with a late attack. In addition, there was Sonny Colbrelli as a sprinter, to whom even the two climbs Cipressa and Poggio could not do much harm. This trident could also rely on the support of riders like Heinrich Haussler, Kristijan Koren, Franco Pellizotti and Luka Pibernik.

The race began in Milan in the pouring rain. At first, nine escapees determined the action: While the athletes from the BAHRAIN MERIDA PRO CYCLING TEAM conserved their strength in the peloton, these riders had attacked shortly after the start and built a maximum lead of seven and a half minutes. The last four escapees were dropped 30 kilometers from the finish after the Tre Capi, and from then on the riders in red, gold and dark blue put on an impressive team performance: Luka Pibernik and Kristijan Koren kept Vincenzo Nibali in the front positions of the peloton on the approach to the Cipressa, before Franco Pellizotti and Matej Mohoric stretched out in front of their captain on Cipressa and Poggio. On the final climb of the day, Nibali then responded to an attack by Latvian champion Krists Neilands, leaving him standing immediately and taking the descent toward the finish with a 12-second lead.

In the last six kilometers Vincenzo Nibali showed all his riding technique: On the winding descent between the greenhouses, the Sicilian was able to maintain his lead. The flat last three kilometers to the finish were extremely exciting: While the sprinters' helpers tried everything to reduce the gap, Nibali benefited from the aerodynamic advantages of MERIDA's REACTO with the particularly wind-slippery "Metron 6D" handlebar by Vision, which was developed especially for this racer. His lead shrank on the way to the finish, but Vincenzo Nibali got the last out of his body and was even able to pull ahead of the onrushing peloton at the end to take full advantage of the victory. With Sonny Colbrelli in 9th place, a second rider from BAHRAIN MERIDA PRO CYCLING TEAM made it into the top10. And for Nibali, it was his second consecutive victory in a cycling monument after winning the Tour of Lombardy last fall.

109. milan-sanremo (294km)

1		Vincenzo NIBALI	BAHRAIN - MERIDA	7H18'43"
2		Caleb EWAN	MITCHELTON - SCOTT	0'00"
3		Arnaud DEMARE	GROUPAMA - FDJ	0'00"
4		Alexander KRISTOFF	UAE TEAM EMIRATES	0'00"
5		Jurgen ROELANDTS	BMC RACING TEAM	0'00"
6		Peter SAGAN	BORA - HANSGROHE	0'00"
7		Michael MATTHEWS	TEAM SUNWEB	0'00"
8		Magnus Cort NIELSEN	ASTANA PRO TEAM	0'00"