Milano-Sanremo

Rui Costa and an spectacular Ángel Madrazo lead Movistar Team's performance in Classicissima, decided into blows of luck and attacks as Visconti and Ventoso make the top 20

Movistar Team showed again the solidness of its block in the 103rd Milano-Sanremo, the first monument of the cycling classics season held on Saturday over 298 kilometers from the capital city of Lombardy to the Riviera Ligure, with Australian Simon Gerrans (GEC) making count a late move created into the final kilometer of the decisive climb to the Poggio di Sanremo alongside Swiss Fabian Cancellara (RNT, 2nd) and Italian Vincenzo Nibali (LIQ, 3rd). Until that move, the telephone squad did not stopping riding to the fore of the race and made some of the most important attacks of the day. Portuguese Rui Costa tried his way in two occasions: early into the morning break of nine riders, which took a massive 14-minute advantage halfway through the stage and which the Iberian could not bridge after bring just 40 second back; later, into the final slopes of the Cipressa, just over 30k from the finish, he searched for a previous attack from Hoogerland (VCD) and Vila (UNA).

The relay to Costa’s work, who went over the split along with six other riders from José Luis Jaimerena’s squad after the first big climb of the day in Le Manie -only Marzio Bruseghin was cut out into a second echelon-, was taken by a tremendous Ángel Madrazo, who led the race soio with his acceleration in the first half of the Poggio, an attempt only reeled back by the moves from the three podium finishers. Ultimately, the final seleciton into the dangerous, tricky descent left the Blues behind, still being able to get four of their riders -Visconti (16th), Ventoso (18th), Lastras and Madrazo himself- into the group coming to the finish with just twenty seconds back on the leading field.