Arnaud Demare won a chaotic final sprint to win the 2016 Milan-San Remo ahead of Ben Swift and Jurgen Roelandts, the win by Arnaud Demare was the first French win since 1995 and came after a succession of crashes in the peloton in the final 30km and the final sprint.
The chances of world champion Peter Sagan and Fabian Cancellara were wrecked in the final sprint as they both had to avoid the falling Fernando Gaviria who after a moments inattention touched the wheel of the rider in front and crashed.
Heinrich Haussler was the highest placed Australian in 7th place.
Landslides and Crashes
The 2016 Milan-San Remo started under warm sun and it wasn’t long before eleven riders broke clear and established a gap out over ten minutes, Tinkoff and Orica-GreenEdge brought the gap down to five minutes by the top of the Passo del Turchino as up the road a landslide on the coast road meant the race would be diverted onto the motorway for 9km.
The race was almost back together before the Cipressa as a crash caught Arnaud Demare, Michael Matthews, Daniele Bennati, Peter Kennaugh and Geraint Thomas and others, Matthews was the last to get going as his bike was tangled with Bennati’s losing valuable time. Arnaud Demare and Kennaugh were able to get back on to the peloton before the Poggio, Matthew’s arrived back later but had used to much energy chasing back on.
Michal Kwiatkowski attacked and gained a lead of 6 seconds with 6km to go as Vincenzo Nibali chased with Cancellara on his wheel and then were caught by the large peloton. Edvald Boasson Hagen attacked with 2km to go but was caught with 1km to go and it looked like the race would end in a bunch finish with most of the pre-race favourites …. and then the crash.
Moments after the crash Roelandts opened his sprint but Arnaud Demare was too strong and came around for the win ahead of Ben Swift with Roelandts holding for third ahead of Nacer Bouhanni who had a chain slip during his sprint.
Arnaud Demare was the 2011 U23 world champion and has won the Vattenfall Cyclassics and Four Days of Dunkirk as well as the French championships in 2014. Today’s Milan-San Remo win is Demare’s first monument win.
Il y a des jours comme ça .. Incroyable! Milan San Remo quoi! ? pic.twitter.com/mnAO9fegMi
— Arnaud Demare (@ArnaudDemare) March 19, 2016
Results 2016 Milan-San Remo
| Place | Rider (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arnaud Demare (Fra) FDJ | 6:54:45 |
| 2 | Ben Swift (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 3 | Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 4 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 5 | Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team | |
| 6 | Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Team Katusha | |
| 7 | Heinrich Haussler (Aus) IAM Cycling | |
| 8 | Filippo Pozzato (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 9 | Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 10 | Matteo Trentin (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 11 | Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Astana Pro Team | |
| 12 | Peter Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff Team | |
| 13 | Matteo Montaguti (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 14 | Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| 15 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| 16 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 17 | Niccolo Bonifazio (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 18 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ | |
| 19 | Simon Geschke (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 20 | Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 21 | Davide Rebellin (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
| 22 | Andrea Fedi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 23 | Paul Voss (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | |
| 24 | Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 25 | Lars Boom (Ned) Astana Pro Team | |
| 26 | Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data | |
| 27 | Damiano Caruso (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| 28 | Dayer Quintana (Col) Movistar Team | |
| 29 | Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 30 | Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 31 | Fabian Cancellara (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 32 | Jarlinson Pantano (Col) IAM Cycling | +:08 |
| 33 | Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 34 | Tony Gallopin (Fra) Lotto Soudal | |
| 35 | Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
| 36 | Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 37 | Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Team Katusha | |
| 38 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | +:11 |
| 39 | Vicente Reynes (Spa) IAM Cycling | +:14 |
| 40 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Team Sky | +:34 |
| 41 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale Pro Cycling | +:36 |
| 42 | Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 43 | Martin Elmiger (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
| 44 | Koen De Kort (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 45 | Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Movistar Team | |
| 46 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | |
| 47 | Leigh Howard (Aus) IAM Cycling | |
| 48 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) IAM Cycling | |
| 49 | Peter Kennaugh (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 50 | Paul Martens (Ger) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 51 | Fabio Felline (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 52 | Davide Vigano (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 53 | Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 54 | Michael Morkov (Den) Team Katusha | |
| 55 | Tom Boonen (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 56 | Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff Team | |
| 57 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 58 | Diego Ulissi (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 59 | Michael Matthews (Aus) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| 60 | Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Team Sky | +:43 |
| 61 | Alessandro De Marchi (Ita) BMC Racing Team | +:44 |
| 62 | Dominik Nerz (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | +:53 |
| 63 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ | +1:12 |
| 64 | Zico Waeytens (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin | +1:26 |
| 65 | Oscar Gatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team | +1:30 |
| 66 | Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Astana Pro Team | +1:38 |
| 67 | Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 68 | Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) FDJ | |
| 69 | Dylan Van Baarle (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| 70 | Jan Barta (Cze) Bora-Argon 18 | |
| 71 | Danilo Wyss (Swi) BMC Racing Team | |
| 72 | Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 73 | Simone Ponzi (Ita) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
| 74 | Sven Erik Bystr¿m (Nor) Team Katusha | |
| 75 | Simon Spilak (Slo) Team Katusha | |
| 76 | Angel Vicioso (Spa) Team Katusha | |
| 77 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| 78 | Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 79 | Fernando Gaviria (Col) Etixx – Quick-Step | +1:48 |
| 80 | Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 81 | Gatis Smukulis (Lat) Astana Pro Team | +1:53 |
| 82 | Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team | |
| 83 | Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 84 | Elia Viviani (Ita) Team Sky | |
| 85 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 86 | Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ | |
| 87 | Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 88 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | +1:59 |
| 89 | Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team | +2:43 |
| 90 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 | |
| 91 | Luke Rowe (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 92 | Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension Data | |
| 93 | K_vin Reza (Fra) FDJ | +2:58 |
| 94 | David Lozano Riba (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | +3:17 |
| 95 | Simon Yates (GBr) Orica-GreenEdge | +3:18 |
| 96 | Daniel Oss (Ita) BMC Racing Team | +3:26 |
| 97 | Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 98 | Kristijan Koren (Slo) Cannondale Pro Cycling | +3:29 |
| 99 | Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 100 | Matteo Tosatto (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
| 101 | Mirco Maestri (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 102 | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| 103 | Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSF | +3:31 |
| 104 | Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 105 | Rudiger Selig (Ger) Bora-Argon 18 | +4:13 |
| 106 | Bartlomiej Matysiak (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | +4:25 |
| 107 | Eros Capecchi (Ita) Astana Pro Team | |
| 108 | Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 109 | Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
| 110 | Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension Data | |
| 111 | Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 112 | Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 113 | Winner Anacona (Col) Movistar Team | +6:16 |
| 114 | Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | +6:46 |
| 115 | Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| 116 | Roger Kluge (Ger) IAM Cycling | +7:01 |
| 117 | Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Soudal | |
| 118 | Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Tinkoff Team | |
| 119 | Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Trek-Segafredo | +9:25 |
| 120 | Roberto Ferrari (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 121 | Hugo Houle (Can) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 122 | Michael Albasini (Swi) Orica-GreenEdge | +10:16 |
| 123 | Daniel Martin (Irl) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 124 | Roy Curvers (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 125 | Victor de la Parte (Spa) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | +10:48 |
| 126 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Lotto Soudal | +11:37 |
| 127 | Marco Haller (Aut) Team Katusha | |
| 128 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Argon 18 | +12:53 |
| 129 | Sam Bennett (Irl) Bora-Argon 18 | |
| 130 | Bert De Backer (Bel) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 131 | Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| 132 | Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 133 | Jesse Sergent (NZl) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 134 | Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| 135 | Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Lotto Soudal | |
| 136 | Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC Racing Team | |
| 137 | Julen Amezqueta (Spa) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 138 | Gregor Muhlberger (Aut) Bora-Argon 18 | |
| 139 | Mark Renshaw (Aus) Dimension Data | |
| 140 | Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) BMC Racing Team | |
| 141 | Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 142 | Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| 143 | Juan Jose Lobato (Spa) Movistar Team | |
| 144 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
| 145 | Marco Coledan (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 146 | Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 147 | Matteo Bono (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| 148 | Manuel Belletti (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 149 | Mirko Tedeschi (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 150 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | +14:25 |
| 151 | Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 152 | Alan Marangoni (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| 153 | Martijn Verschoor (Ned) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 154 | Christopher Williams (Aus) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 155 | Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| 156 | Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) AG2R La Mondiale | |
| 157 | Luka Mezgec (Slo) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| 158 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 159 | Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| 160 | Kevin De Mesmaeker (Bel) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| 161 | Reto Hollenstein (Swi) IAM Cycling | |
| 162 | Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | +14:28 |
| 163 | Mickael Delage (Fra) FDJ | |
| 164 | Thomas Leezer (Ned) Team LottoNl-Jumbo | |
| 165 | William Bonnet (Fra) FDJ | |
| 166 | Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Lotto Soudal | |
| 167 | Daryl Impey (RSA) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| 168 | Adam Blythe (GBr) Tinkoff Team | |
| 169 | Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky | |
| 170 | Adrian Honkisz (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
| 171 | Christopher Juul Jensen (Den) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| 172 | Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| 173 | Adrian Kurek (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | +17:59 |
| 174 | Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Dimension Data | +19:07 |
| 175 | Eugenio Alafaci (Ita) Trek-Segafredo | |
| 176 | Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) CCC Sprandi Polkowice | |
| 177 | Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| 178 | Samuele Conti (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | +21:17 |
| 179 | Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Southeast – Venezuela | |
| 180 | Axel Domont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | +22:25 |
| DNF | Federico Zurlo (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| DNF | Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team | |
| DNF | Sam Bewley (NZl) Orica-GreenEdge | |
| DNF | Nikias Arndt (Ger) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| DNF | Albert Timmer (Ned) Team Giant-Alpecin | |
| DNF | Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Team Katusha | |
| DNF | Javier Megias (Spa) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| DNF | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordisk | |
| DNF | Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre – Merida | |
| DNF | Julien Vermote (Bel) Etixx – Quick-Step | |
| DNF | Serge Pauwels (Bel) Dimension Data | |
| DNF | Daniele Bennati (Ita) Tinkoff Team | |
| DNF | Giorgio Cecchinel (Ita) Androni Giocattoli – Sidermec | |
| DNF | Nicola Boem (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| DNF | Stefano Pirazzi (Ita) Bardiani CSF | |
| DNF | Simon Clarke (Aus) Cannondale Pro Cycling | |
| DNF | Jerome Cousin (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| DNF | Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
| DNF | Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data |
Race report by TBL – The Bike Lane
