Road Gallery: Nibali’s audacious solo attack pays off at Milano-Sanremo The 2018 Milano-Sanremo started in the rain, but dry conditions prevailed in the end, as Vincenzo Nibali took the victory for Italy. Share this Facebook Icon Twitter Icon Email Icon Join VeloNews.com Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Join for free Already have an account? Sign In Join VeloNews.com Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. Join for free Already have an account? Sign In "The Shark from Messina" wasted little time dropping Neilands. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images World champion Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) was bundled up at the start, as the peloton started the race in the rain. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Brian Kamstra (Novo Nordisk) toed the start line prepared for the wet roads ahead. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images A hefty 294 kilometers awaited the peloton, as they set off from Piazza Castello for the 109th edition of Milano-Sanremo. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Nine riders were brave enough to breakaway from the peloton. They would spend over 250 kilometers leading the race. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images With Milan behind them, the peloton headed toward the Turchino Pass, which would lead them down to the coastal road along the Mediterranean Sea. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Lukasz Wisniowski (Sky) and Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) crashed in the feed zone 130 kilometers into the race. Wisniowski would abandon the race. Greipel rejoined the peloton, but crashed on the descent of the Poggio late in the race and broke his left collarbone. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Visibility was low at the top of the Turchino Pass. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images On the coast, the riders still dealt with wet conditions. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images The sun would eventually come out on Saturday. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Milano-Sanremo, traditionally the first monument of the season, could become the last race of 2020. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Dan Mclay and Simon Clarke (EF Education First-Drapac) crashed between the Capo Cervo and Capo Berta. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images The final “Capi”, the Capo Berta saw riders being dropped from the peloton. The fatigue of a long race was beginning to set in. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Marcel Kittel (Katusha-Alpecin) found the “Capi” a bit too tough. The German was dropped on the Capo Berta. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Photo: Tim De Waele/ Getty Images FDJ powered through the Cipressa on the front of the peloton. 2016 Milano-Sanremo winner Arnaud Demare followed his teammates and looked in control on the climb. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Approaching the Poggio, Bora-Hansgrohe brought Sagan to the front of the peloton. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) followed an attack from Krists Neilands (Israel Cycling Academy) midway up the Poggio. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images “The Shark from Messina” wasted little time dropping Neilands. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Nibali took one last look over his shoulder in the final meters on the Via Roma. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Nibali barely held off the sprinters to take the 2018 edition of “La Primavera.” Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) finished at the back of the front group. After dominating the spring classics last year, the Belgian has struggled to find his form in 2018. Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) won the bunch sprint for second with Demare in third. Photo: ©Tim De Waele | Getty Images
