Ian Stannard put in a heroic performance in the closing stages to take sixth in an epic edition of Milan-San Remo.
Team Sky show strongly in epic snow-altered race
Ian Stannard put in a heroic performance in the closing stages to take sixth in an epic edition of Milan-San Remo.
The British national champion found himself in a strong position as the race became stretched following the penultimate climb of the Cipressa.
Stannard attacked out of an elite group alongside Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step) and Eduard Vorganov (Katusha) to lead the race onto the famous Poggio.
The 25-year-old continued to attack valiantly despite the move being reeled in on the descent, eventually leading the winning group under the flamme rouge after one more last-ditch attempt to get away.
Sixth marked the team’s best showing at La Primavera to date, the result backed up by Bernhard Eisel who claimed tenth from the bunch sprint in behind, 14 seconds after Gerald Ciolek (MTN Qhubeka) had taken a surprise victory.
The first monument of the season was one of high drama, with winter conditions causing major re-routing and a unique bus transfer to safer terrain mid-race.
Team Sky demonstrated plenty of character and strength in depth after team leaders Geraint Thomas and Edvald Boasson Hagen were both taken out of the equation, the Welshman crashing on the approach to the Cipressa while Boasson Hagen found himself tailed off by attacks on the penultimate climb.
Dramatic day
After Stannard brought the riders onto the finishing straight all eyes were on pre-race favourite Peter Sagan (Cannondale) who opened up the sprint, yet it was Ciolek who rode smart in the closing kilometres and come over the top to edge out the Slovak. Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Leopard) finished fast but had to settle for third.
Team Sky demonstrated their strength in the closing stages, hitting the front on the Tre Capi to line out the peloton long after many of the peloton had called it a day.
Kanstantsin Siutsou ploughed a lone furrow on the front for much of the early going to chase down an escape group of six before compatriot Vasil Kiryienka completed the job with 30km to go.
It wasn’t long before Thomas was on the deck after slipping out on wet corner. Salvatore Puccio was another rider to put in a supreme performance but crashed cruelly on the tricky descent off the Poggio while in the lead group.
Despite 50km being snipped from the race route the 245km Classic was still a brutally tough ordeal which will long live in the memory.
Snow causes havoc
"It was an unbelievable day," said Sports Director Nicolas Portal after the race. "On days like today I am happy to be a DS in the car!
"It was a shame for G. I think he really could have done something in this race and he certainly had good legs before the crash. But it was great to see Ian seize the opportunity and show what he can do.
"The conditions were incredibly difficult with having to stop and start again, but I think this is a performance we can be proud of as a team."
Earlier the riders rolled out of Milan in cold and wet conditions, but the weather deteriorated further as the route headed south-west and they were soon racing in heavy snow and ice.
Up ahead, the climb of Passo del Turchino at mid-distance was covered in a thick layer of snow and with racing not possible in such conditions, organisers took the decision to neutralise the race 25km earlier in Ovada.
The frozen riders duly climbed off their bikes and stepped aboard team buses with their helmets covered in a thick layer of ice – the race convoy moving everyone along the coast on the motorway.
The restart was initially set for the coastal town of Arenzano, but it was later moved to Cogoleto, 126km from the finish line, with the crucial climb of La Manie bypassed.
The day’s six-man breakaway were allowed to resume with the gap of 7:10 seconds that they had built up before the neutralisation, but with plenty of teams willing to ride after the restart it always looked like they would be reeled in.
