Alaphilippe sprints to first ‘Monument’ victory in Milan-San Remo

SAN REMO, Italy: France’s Julian Alaphilippe won a sprint finish to claim his first ‘Monument’ one-day classic victory in the Milan-San Remo on Saturday.

In-form Alaphilippe, won the opening spring classic of the season, to take up the mantle of compatriot Thibaut Pinot, who had won the final race of 2018 in the Tour of Lombardy. The Deceuninck Quick-Step rider finished ahead of a small group of riders, who had broken away near the end of the 291km race under the sunshine, for his seventh win of the season.

The 26-year-old went for the line with 600m remaining, before raising his arms in triumph after a narrow victory on the Via Roma in the Italian Riviera resort, with Belgian Oliver Naesen (AG2R) second and Poland’s Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky) in third.

Three-time world champion Peter Sagan of Slovakia finished fourth with last year’s winner Vincenzo Nibali of Italy crossing in eighth place, behind reigning world champion Alejandro Valverde, after nearly seven hours in the saddle.

Alaphilippe has been on winning form this season, winning the Strade Bianche in Tuscany, and two stages of the Tirreno-Adriatico in recent weeks. The rider from the mountainous Auvergne region in central France had missed out in the 2017 race in San Remo behind Kwiatkowski and Sagan.

But since then he has powered to two stage wins in last year’s Tour de France, where he claimed the top climber’s jersey, and won the Fleche Wallonne and Clasica San Sebastian.