Attacks on Milan-San Remo’s new climb, the Pompeiana

RCS Sport’s decision to add the Pompeiana to Milan-San Remo gives the season’s first, and longest, Monument a whole new dimension for this year’s race. Just over 20km from the finish, the five kilometre climb has an average gradient of just five per cent, but this climbs to 14 per cent at its steepest point as it approaches the summit.

A tough, technical descent – which takes the riders to within 4.4km of the Poggio – leaves the climb open to attacks, and could light the blue touch paper on an explosive finale to the year’s first Monument. Furthermore, after MTN-Qhubeka’s Gerald Ciolek sprinted to victory in the snow last year, there are a number of riders on WorldTour teams with points to prove.