Say Zabel and you think of the Sanremo. Then there are the six consecutive green jerseys in the Tour and a total of over 200 victories, but the Sanremo remains the jewel in his crown (first and foremost, the 2001 one, over Cipollini and Vainsteins). He won it four times and lost it once, in 2004, throwing up his hands too early and opening the door to Freire.The German from Unna, a professional from 1993 to 2008, is today one of Canyon's references also with regards to the women's team of Kasia Niewiadoma, Soraya Paladin e Chiara Consonni. For this reason, on the eve of the first Milan-Sanremo women, we thought of looking for it to get some inspiration on the Classicissima of spring. Will it be for women what it has been for men since 1907?
The route of the race is not yet known. We are talking about 154 kilometers from Genoa to Sanremo, with an initial circuit that will bring the girls already lined up on the Aurelia, at the point where the Turchino descent ends. Not a distance from Sanremo, but rather in line with the other classics on the WorldTour calendar: shorter than Flanders which measures 163 meters.
What was Sanremo for Erik Zabel?
I still remember when you came out of the Turchino tunnel. Sometimes you went in when it was cold and foggy in Milan, but When you arrived at the sea after that tunnel, you felt as if spring had really arrivedIt was love at first sight. In 1993, when I was a new pro, I competed in the Tirreno. I was in good shape and the team (Telekom, ed.) selected me for the Sanremo. I came in 94th, but I fell in love with it.Even though I didn't make the top 10 for the first four years, I always liked it.
What makes it so hard to win?
It's a mix of distance and altitude, it's almost 300 kilometers. The finale is scary. Let's just say the last 50-60 kilometers are always fascinating.There are so many things happening on the Capi, on the Cipressa and on the Poggio. I wasn't strong enough to escape on the Poggio, so I tried to keep up with the strongest riders and pass to the top with the top ten.My main goal has always been to not lose contact, like many other sprinters.
A tactic that has borne good fruit…
There are always the finishers and the classics specialists who try to attack on the Poggio, like PogacarI think this is the charm of the Milan-Sanremo. It is one of the few Monuments where there are different types of riders who can try to win.They all come together for this race. There are so many different tactics, but my goal has always been to stay on track.
Do you think it will be the same for the women or is the gap perhaps insufficient for Capi, Cipressa and Poggio to be effective?
I think 150 kilometers is already a serious distance. On the other hand, for men, the Milan-Sanremo is the longest race on the calendar, so RCS should do something similar and make it the longest race on the women's calendarIn that case, we'd have similar situations to the men's. There would be Kasia Niewiadoma or Demi Vollering, the Grand Tour specialists. But there would be Lotte Kopecky, who is good on climbs and could reach the finish line well. And then there are many Italian athletes who can handle those climbs well. I think it could become something special. In a 150km race, I think the best would be Lotte Kopeky.
Women's cycling's races are often unpredictable. Canyon/SRAM has Niewiadoma and Consonni. Would you give them both equal chances?
It's always good to have different cards to play, to be prepared for the scenarios More varied. If the Capi and Cipressa are fast and tough, you'll immediately have a choice, and in that case, the race will be more suitable for Kasia. If there's a bit of headwind on the Cipressa, the sprinters can try to hold on. At that point, the main objective will be the descent of the Poggio and gaining position on Via Roma. Just like for the men. The more difficult the circumstances, the more top-ranked men there will beFor example, like when Nibali won…
What do you remember?
Everyone was very tired at the end of a difficult race. Vincenzo was the strongest and won with great classBut in other years there was a tailwind, or the favorites looked at each other too long and the sprinters stayed with them. And obviously if you take a sprinter to Via Roma, there is no hope for the climber..
Is it important to have a strong team to make the race more difficult?
We saw these last two editions with Tadej Pogacar's team. They tried to make the race more difficultThey took control. These were fast editions, especially the last one. The group was already selected on the Cipressa: there were many in front, but many dropped away. If a team controls the race for 300 kilometers, it doesn't have the men left to make the race even more difficult in the final stages. And if there are champions like Mathieu Van der Poel and Wout van Aert around who don't make mistakes, sometimes they manage to take advantage of them, like Alpecin last year with Philipsen.
In such a long race, where you can't waste energy, can having the team by your side be the key to success?
If you can protect your leader and bring him as fresh as possible to the sprint, then you've done a great job. It would be very important to have a companion next to you after the PoggioGirls aren't robots, they're less controllable than men. So you can have the perfect day, or a bad day, you can feel great or not so great. We're talking about human beings, but in my eyes one of the most important athletes can be, for example, Soraya PaladinBecause Soraya is capable of becoming the playmaker in the group. She has a perfect vision of the race and tactics. She knows what to do. It's important to have someone in the team who is aware of the situation and able to take control of it.
Is the bike for the Sanremo special or are bikes relatively standard these days?
For Sanremo you need an aero bikeThen you need high-profile 60mm wheels. Very fast wheels, with 28-30mm tires, tubeless tires, and the lowest possible resistance. You need to have the fastest bike possible.
When was the last time you climbed Cipressa or Poggio?
At least ten years ago.
Will you return to Sanremo this year?
No, I don't think so (laughs, ed.). I think I'll go to the Strade Bianche and see the team in Tuscany. The Milan-Sanremo is a wonderful race to watch on TV, but it's not easy to followThe riders are very fast, and sometimes the highway isn't enough to overtake them. Plus, it must be said that up until the last 60 kilometers, you can see better from the couch.
