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Van der Poel also participated in the Gran Fondo Milan-Sanremo, played last weekend. Not Mathieu, who won the Sanremo last year, but Adrianus, his father, leading a large patrol of Dutch cyclists. It was the 53rd edition of the event which takes place on the same route as the classic one World Tour and which saw the participation of over 600 enthusiasts, many of whom came from abroad. More than half of the cyclists at the start were representatives of foreign countries. There France was the lion’s share, with 86 registered, followed by Germany (46), Holland (34), Belgium (27), Switzerland (26), Great Britain (23), Spain (18).
Adrianus Van der Poel, known as Adrie, had raced the Milan-Sanremo several times between the 80s and 90s, but was unable to win it. However, he finished in the Top 10 twice, seventh in 1986 and ’88. His palmarès includes highly prestigious successes, such as the Tour of Flanders (1986), the Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1988), the Amstel Gold Race (1990), the Classica di San Sebastiano (1985), the Tour of Piedmont (1987) and two stages at the Tour de France, as well as the cyclocross world title (1996).
The Gran Fondo Milano-Sanremo was contested with the rules of randonnée, free pace and absence of timed rankings. A special ranking rewarded the largest teams. Success went to the Dutch team Wielerbus (25 athletes), followed by the English Sportive Breaks (18) and Avis Pavia (17).
The 2024 amateur Sanremo ends with great satisfaction for UC Sanremo, which organizes the event. President Fabrizio Fusini comments as follows: “The numbers are growing again, a sign that the event always arouses enormous interest both in Italy and abroad. The two new locations, both departure and arrival, were appreciated. The Gran Fondo Milano-Sanremo does not have a winner, but they are all winners, all those who completed it successfully”.
