2019 Milan-San Remo Cycling 3/23/19 Odds, Preview and Prediction

The Milan-San Remo is a one-day road cycling race that takes place on March 23, 2019, in Italy. This year’s race will be the 110th edition of the Milan-San Remo and it is also the 8th event in the 2019 UCI World Tour.

It is one of the most prestigious races in the cycling calendar and it is one of the five “Monuments” along with the Tour of Flanders Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro de Lombardia. With a total distance of just under 300 km, the Milan-San Remo is one of the longest one-day race on the professional Tour.

Last year, Vincenzo Nibali from team Bahrain-Merida  won the race to become the first Italian to win the Milan-San Remo since Filippo Pozzato accomplished the feat in 2006. Nibali made his attack at Poggio de San Remo and then held off the top sprinters on the way to victory. Australia’s Caleb Ewan of Mitchelton-Scott team came in second and ahead of 2016 Milan-San Remo winner Arnaud Demare who came in 3rd for team Groupama-FDJ

Who Are The Favorites?

Peter Sagan is the early betting favorite to win the Milan-San Remo 2019. The three-time world champion has found the Milan-San Remo to be elusive. He has five different Top Six finished in the race but has never won it. He started his 2019 campaign with the Tour Down Under and won Stage 3 of that race. Sagan also raced in the Vuelta a San Juan, using both races to prepare and improve his form ahead of the Milan-San Remo. Peter Sagan is considered a rider who can win the race through a bunch sprint or by late attack in the final climb, making him a favorite in a race like this one.

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After his second place finish at the La Primavera last year, Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan hopes to add the Monument this season. Ewan started his year in Australia where we was victorious at Bay Crits and the pre-Tour Down Under criterium before winning Stage 5 of the main race. Evans then finished second in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race and after that, won Stage 4 of the UAE Tour. Ewan was 2nd at te Milan-San Remo in 2018 and 10th the previous year.

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Fernando Gaviria took a risk by changing teams in 2019. Gaviria had a well-decorated career at Quick-Step Floors with 34 victories since 2015 before deciding to move to UAE Team Emirates starting this season. But the Colombian sprinter quickly shrugged off the pressure by winning the opening stage of the 2019 Vuelta a San Juan. The 2018 Giro d’Italia winner quickly doubled by winning Stage 4 of the same race. In the just concluded UAE Tour, Gaviria claimed victory at the 184-km Stage 2 in a thrilling bunch finish.

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Elia Viviani was Gaviria’s teammate at Quick-Step and he edged the Colombian in a sprint finish in Stage 5 of the UAE Tour last month. Vivani also defeated Peter Sagan in the one day Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race last January, improving on his 2nd place finish in the race last year.

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Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe claimed victory at the 2019 Strade Bianche, the fifth event of the 2019 UCI World Tour. Alaphilippe also won Stages 2 & 3 (ITT) of the Vuelta a San Juan, race he finished second overall. The 26-year old cyclist also won the points classification and Stage 5 of the Tour Colombia last month.

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Who Wins?

While Peter Sagan is a justifiable favorite, the Milan-San Remo race is one of the most difficult sporting events to predict. I think it goes down to current form and while there is still over a week left before the race, I like Julian Alaphilippe’s form going to the race. He won the Strade Bianche despite not having raced it before. In 2017, he finished third in his first Milan-San Remo and with his ability to attack on the Poggio, winning the ‘La Classicissima’ this year is a real possibility..

Here are the rest of the top favorites to win the Milan-San Remo 2019. Odds taken from Bet365 as of 3/14/19:

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