The Milan San-Remo race might be the hardest in the world, but it doesn’t have to be the hardest to bet. We’ve analyzed the race and the field to help you out. Scope out our race preview, plus expert picks on who wins the Milan San-Remo race.
- What: Milan San-Remo
- Where: Italy
- When: Saturday, March 16
2024 Milan San-Remo Preview
We have to first preview the Milan San-Remo by taking a look-see at the current cycling odds to win the race. As it stands, the betting frontrunners are as follows:
| Rider |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tadej Pogacar | +250 | +250 | +250 |
| Mathieu van der Poel | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| Mads Pederson | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Matej Mohoric | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Flippo Ganna | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Tom Pidcock | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
| Jasper Philisen | +2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
No surprises about who’s atop. Everyone is very much expecting a showdown between Van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar. Those two take center stage with Wout van Aert not competing on Saturday. We should mention that Van der Poel is the defending champion. A year ago, he made a powerful attack on the final part of Poggio and rode solo to victory. However, this event marks Van der Poel’s road race debut in 2024.
“La Classicissima” as this event is famously called is the first classic of the year. It’s also the longest one-day race in all of cycling. This year marks the 115th edition of the Milan San-Remo, but there are some massive changes in store this time around.
For one, this event isn’t actually starting in Milan — despite the name. The city has been replaced by Pavia as the starting point. Due to this change, about 10 kilometers have been removed from the route. It’s still the longest in the world at 288 kilometers but still, it’s shorter than in years past.
Per usual, this race will likely be won and lost in Poggio. This is where the final climb of the race happens, right before the final descent into San Remo. Poggio happens a mere six kilometers from the finish and because it’s super narrow, jostling for position right before the climb is mission-critical.
Best Bets To Win Milan San-Remo Classic
“The easiest to finish, but the hardest to win”, that’s how the Milan San-Remo race is described. Knowing that, you almost have to take multiple bets on the Milan San-Remo winner. The difficulty of this event is notorious and going “all on” on one rider is asking for trouble. With that in mind, here are two competitors getting our money first:
Pogačar or Van Der Poel?
You have to bet one of these riders — but only one. Because their odds are so close, you can only afford to take one. Putting money on both would just eat your profits and no one wants that. So who’s it going to be?
The case for Van Der Poel is he’s the reigning champion. Not only for this event but for the entire world. Van Der Poel has won the world championship in back-to-back years and six total. But the case against Van Der Poel is, well, he hasn’t raced this season. The worry is he needs time to shake off bike rust.
As for Pogačar, he’s long played second fiddle to Van Der Poel. It’s a big reason why he’s only won the world championship once and not more times. Still, he’s off to a blazing start in 2024. Pogačar took first at Strade Bianche earlier this season with an impressive solo effort from more than 80 kilometers out. So you know he’s in tip-top shape, something that can’t be said with certainty about Van Der Poel.
Our gut tells us Van Der Poel will come out on top on Saturday. As an all-time great, you almost have to give him the benefit of the doubt that he’s ready. The Dutchman is our priority pick at this event.
Tom Pidcock
You have to go with a “darhorse” bet after either Van Der Poel or Pogačar. For us, that’s Pidcock. There are two reasons for that. The first is he performed well at the aforementioned Strade Bianche. In that one-day race, he finished fourth overall so there’s some momentum there.
Secondly, if this race comes down to the final descent after Poggio, which it every often does, then Pidcock is built to win that last sprint. We'd put Pidcock’s descending skills up against almost anyone. That’s what makes him such a good alternate bet after the “big two.”
How To Bet On The Milan San-Remo?
The Milan San-Remo is really when the cycling season kicks into high gear. After this, the big races start coming one after another. That’s why if you want to bet on the Milan San-Remo or the races that follow, you need to visit one of the bookmakers listed below. Not every bookie offers betting lines on a niche sport like cycling, but the five you see listed here sure do.
See the table for two important pieces of information. The first is unbiased sportsbook reviews. The second is details on the lucrative betting bonuses available. These bonuses can get you paid hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play. That’s money you can use to bet on the Milan San-Remo for free! Details on these offers are featured below.
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