Peter Sagan, Alexander Kristoff and Fabian Cancellara attended the final pre-Milan-San Remo press conference with the mayor of Milan on Friday afternoon, sharing their final thoughts before the race and then posing with a birthday cake that was given to Cancellara to celebrate his 35th birthday.
The event was stage-managed by race organiser RCS Sport with the mayor using the event to promote cycling in the city and reveal that the Vigorelli velodrome will finally reopen in May after being saved from demolition and undergoing a major renovation.
Kristoff arrived first in the Milan city hall, opposite the Scala opera House. He was sporting a long quiff of hair on the top of his head that put even Sagan’s blonde mane to shame. Surprisingly Cancellara was a little late, with the mayor Giuliano Pisapia forced to pose for a second photo opportunity with the trio of Milan-San Remo contenders.
The opening speeches came from RCS Sport president Riccardo Taranto, Gazzetta dello Sport editor Andrea Monti and even the head of cycling at RCS Sport Mauro Vegni. Sagan, Kristoff and Cancellara tried hard not to look bored or show disappointment at missing out on a final nap before Milan-San Remo. Sagan opted to constantly smile but let slip a yawn at one point.
When it finally became time for the riders to talk, the questions were carefully controlled, with the first about the expected warm weather for the race. It was close on 20C in central Milan, when it is supposed to be cold and wintery. Forecasts predict the same for San Remo on Saturday.
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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters, Shift Active Media, and CyclingWeekly, among other publications.
