Corbin Strong Equals Team-Best Monument Result With Fifth In Milano – Sanremo
Southland cyclist Corbin Strong sprinted to fifth on the Via Roma to a career-best Monument result, the team’s best-ever result in La Classicissima, and an equal-best Monument placing in our history. photo: NSN Cycling Team
An instant-classic edition of Milano – Sanremo on Saturday is also a race that will go down in NSN Cycling Team history. Southland cyclist Corbin Strong sprinted to fifth on the Via Roma to a career-best Monument result, the team’s best-ever result in La Classicissima, and an equal-best Monument placing in our history.
“I’m happy. I felt good, the teamwork and the guys were awesome, and this has always been a race that I thought could suit me really well,” said Strong.
“I’ve had horrible luck this year. I think I’ve crashed or had mechanicals or got ill in every race I’ve done so far this year, so it’s really nice to be in the final racing and to get a top five in a Monument, it’s really special. Actually, it means a lot.”
As usual, the action kicked off in the final hour of racing but this time, it was before the Cipressa when a crash took down Biniam Girmay alongside a bunch of race favourites including Tadej Pogačar.
Fortunately, Biniam was able to get back on the bike but with the peloton well and truly flying ahead of the decisive climb, where positioning is always crucial, it was impossible for the Eritrean to get back to the front of the group.
Up ahead, Strong remained well positioned on the Cipressa and was part of the main chase group when Pogačar, Mathieu van Der Poel, and Tom Pidcock went clear. Although the trio established a solid gap, the race wasn’t over and with the peloton chasing hard behind, Pogacčr and Pidcock had just eight seconds as the race turned onto Via Roma.
With Pogačar taking the win by half a wheel over Pidcock, and a late attack from Wout Van Art rounding out the podium, Strong dug deep to sprint to fifth place.
For Sports Director Sam Bewley the first Monument of the season was a day of ups and downs.
“I had in my head that a top five was achievable today, with Corbin or Bini,” explained Bewley. “So to get fifth is in line with that expectation, and obviously it was always going to be a challenge, with some of the best in the world here. So we actually can be really happy, and I am really happy with fifth. I’m happy for Corbin to finally get on the board this year as well after a tough start.
“But obviously at the same time, it’s a bit of a bittersweet day with Bini in great shape, and I have no doubt he would have been in that group too and would have had some really good options to play, but he was caught up in that crash. It’s unfortunate for him, but at the same time for the team, it was a day we can be happy with.”
