Cycling: Milan-Sanremo: Nibali surprises the best sprinters

Vincenzo Nibali cheated the best sprinters and took 109th place. Milan-Sanremo spring classic.

After a furious attack at Poggio, the Italian saved a wafer-thin lead over the pursuers chasing him to the finish line. After 294 km and well over seven hours of driving, Nibali won on the famous Via Roma ahead of Caleb Ewan (Australia) and Arnaud Demare (France).

The German professional cyclists missed a place among the top ten on the Ligurian coast. The last German winner of the Primavera remains John Degenkolb, who triumphed three years ago but this time had to fit ill. Besides Degenkolb, Gerald Ciolek (2013), Erik Zabel (1997, 1998, 2000, 2001) and Rudi Altig (1968) won.

Top sprinter Marcel Kittel made an unobtrusive debut at the Classicissima. Nibali was the first Italian success since 2006. After the triumphs at the Lombardy Tour (2015 and 2017), it was the third success for the former Tour de France winner at one of the so-called cycling monuments.