Italian cycling is going through a dire moment and an Italian rider has not won Milan-San Remo for 11 years – the second longest period without a win at La Primavera since Michele Dancelli won in 1970, ending a 17-year drought.
Wilier Triestina's Filippo Pozzato was the last Italian to celebrate on the Via Roma and is still dining out on the biggest win of his now long and largely unfulfilled career. This year's Milan-San Remo is likely Pozzato's last as a rider and he believes he has a chance of a second victory. In truth, Italy's best hope of success arguably lies with Sonny Colbrelli of Bahrain-Merida.
The 26-year-old from Desenzano del Garda near Brescia showed he is on form by winning stage 2 of Paris-Nice with a long and powerful sprint. He also impressed during the rest of the Race to the Sun, winning the sprint behind David de la Cruz, Alberto Contador and Marc Soler on Sunday's final hilly stage.
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Colbrelli's pedigree and palmares do not stand up to those of Peter Sagan, John Degenkolb, Arnaud Demare, or the prodigious talent and potential of Fernando Gaviria. Colbrelli, however, has the right balance of speed, climbing ability and endurance to be a real contender for every kind of finale come Saturday afternoon.
Stepping up to WorldTour level
After riding for Bardiani-CSF for six years, Colbrelli stepped up to WorldTour level for 2017 and seems to be taking it all in his stride.
"There's no doubt that my form is good, even if I didn't think so at the start of Paris-Nice," Colbrelli told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I was surprised to win the stage and surprised to go so well on the climbs during the last three stages. On Sunday's stage I was up there with the climbers.
Can he beat Sagan and Gaviria?
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