CyclistClassic climb: Poggio di San Remo, one of pro cyclings most decisive climbsMilan-San Remo is a race of superlatives: the longest; the oldest; the most prestigious. Its the first Monument of the year and marks the proper start of the cycling season. The historic route snakes its way through almost 300km of northern Italian countryside, from the Lombardy plains over the Passo del Turchino, before heading south and skimming the Ligurian coastline all the way to the finish. But despite its monstrous length, this is a race routinely won or lost in the last 10km. And that inescapable fact is all thanks to the final climb: the Poggio di San Remo.Unlike the race that immortalised it, the Poggio is largely unremarkable on first inspection. Its not particularly long, high or steep, yet every year it serves as a stage for some of the sports most epic battles.Averaging a modest 4% and rarely creeping above 7% at its steepest, the 3.7km hillside road is light work for fresh legs, but placed in the final minutes of one of the most arduous bike races on the planet it becomes something else entirely.The climb starts on the coast before slipping inland away from the main road and folding back on itself in a series of swoops and hairpins. Once at the summit, a fast drop back down towards the Via Roma begins almost immediately, which has proven over the decades to be every bit as decisive as the climb itself.One obvious recent example of this would be Matej Mohoris dropper post-aided victory in 2022. The Slovenian didnt cement his win on the ascent but in the chaos that followed. As he, Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogaar marked each other over the top of the Poggio, Mohori committed to a borderline-reckless descent, leaving the other favourites in his dust as he pushed the racing line to its absolute limits, even veering perilously into the gutter at one particularly hair-raising moment.Going back further, Eddy Merckx made the Poggio his own between 1966 and 1976, winning Milan-San Remo seven times. On one occasion he turned a slender advantage over the summit into a 30-second lead by the bottom, the Belgian great sprinting out of the corners while the rest of the bunch hesitated.Despite its notoriety within the context of Milan-San Remo, the Poggio is actually a relatively recent addition to its parcours. The first race was held in 1907 but it wasnt until 1960 that the climb appeared on the route.It was introduced by then-race director Vincenzo Torriani the man responsible for organising the Giro dItalia from 1946 to the early 1990s in an attempt to curb the mass sprint finishes in which the race tended to culminate. More specifically, its inclusion aimed to thwart the efforts of the foreign sprinters who so often dominated the podium, thus improving the chances of local hopefuls.Article continues belowThe early slopes of the Poggio off the Strada Tre Ponti start gently and can be taken at speed before the gradient kicks up.Andrew GrantAndrew GrantAndrew GrantAndrew GrantThe average gradient is 4% and rarely tips above 7%. Its the Poggios place so near the end of Milan-San Remo that makes it so tough for the pros.Andrew GrantThe middle section features two aggressive hairpins. Ideally youd take the racing line but unless youre racing Milan-San Remo you need to be mindful of oncoming traffic.Andrew GrantThe first of the Poggios two major hairpins is blind, but in this instance youre riding with the traffic.Andrew GrantMurals pay homage to the greats around halfway up the climb.Andrew GrantAndrew GrantThe last bend before the final stretch of 1.5km at 3%. Beware the ramp at 6% midway through.Andrew GrantA well-stickered signpost marks your arrival at the village of Poggio.Andrew Grant Related Posts Gravel Big Ride: Riding the real Strade Bianche under the Tuscan sun Classic climb: Col de la Madone, the climb loved by pros and ignored by the Tour Big Ride: Summits and switchbacks on the Col de Turini Short and sweetOn a normal day, the Poggio arrives without fanfare. Theres no foreboding sign warning of the gradient, no imposing wall of tarmac slowly coming into focus on the approach. Instead, the road simply forks off to the right, taking you up a gentle ramp the Via Duca DAosta that runs parallel to the main coastal stretch.The first section is wide and straight with no immediate corners in sight. In the race, this means it can be hit at full speed until eventually the first corner takes the tarmac through 180, winding back on itself past an assortment of residential buildings, from large villas to more modest single-storey homes.Below, the Mediterranean sparkles under the Ligurian sun and on the hillside a patchwork of solar panels catch the same light, glinting like a broken disco ball to the side of the road. On a clear day its possible from this vantage point to make out sections of one of Milan-San Remos other neighbouring climbs, the Cipressa.At 5.6km the Cipressa is longer than its neighbour and marginally steeper overall. Long stretches hover around 5% not crazy, but more than enough to sting after 270km of racing. Even so, its position makes it difficult to turn an attack into a winning move. After all, any rider who escapes on the Cipressa still faces exposed roads before the Poggio, and the peloton rarely allows a small gap to stick.After the first kilometre-and-a-half, the Poggios tarmac enters the first of two aggressive hairpins, and the coastline to the northeast disappears from sight. Picking the right line here is crucial for those attempting to snag a good time, but the very real possibility of meeting an oncoming car can make this tricky.A chapel perched on the hillside overlooking San Remo signals the last of the corners and the beginning of the final straightish drag, averaging around 3% for 1.5km, with a 6% ramp in the middle.This section of road is home to a number of colourful murals, some of them depicting cycling legends past and present, and as the gradient continues to level out, the word POGGIO can be seen painted across the wall to the left in the colours of the Italian tricolore. Just one final push now.A small village sits at the top, offering a chance to grab some refreshments and refill bidons. But if you want to ride the Poggio like a pro, youll skip that part and immediately turn left into the descent back down to San Remo.This side is much steeper, with sharper corners and more of them. Even so, its still not particularly technical, which makes for a fast run back down to sea level. And its at that point that the Poggio ends as unceremoniously as it began, spilling back onto the main road just a few short kilometres from where it started and, if youre a pro racing Milan-San Remo, about 2km from the finish line.The post Classic climb: Poggio di San Remo, one of pro cyclings most decisive climbs appeared first on Cyclist.