Binda's Super Sprint
The 24th Milan-San Remo Classicissima was held on March 22, 1931.
The race left Milan at 6:20 am under cloudy skies and with cold temperatures.
SPECIAL NOTE: a record 140 riders came to the start, but the absence of big foreign stars was due to the running of Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) on the same day.
The early kilometers of the race had little action. The peloton kept breakaways in control and made a final regrouping riding into Ovada (114 km into the race / 287 km).
Race Status:
The race that took off on the last kilometer of the Passo Turchino (131 km / 287 km), contesting the Gran Premio della Montagna (a monetary mountain preme). World champion Alfredo Binda (Legnano) sprinted over the summit to win the preme.
After a fast descent, the peloton rode onto the Ligurian Coast, Binda and his Legnano team drove the pace of the race.
Through Piani d'Invrea (157 km / 287 km), no breakaways were able to survive, and a lead group of fifty riders signed the control sheets together.
An untimely puncture slowed Binda in Savona (175 km / 287 km) slowed his progress, he lost several minutes repairing the tire.
In Spotorno (205 km / 287 km), Michele Mara (Bianchi) tried again to shake up the group. Aggressively he escaped with Pio Caimmi (Gloria), Domenico Piemontesi (Bianchi), and Alfredo Bovet (Touring), while Learco Guerra (Maino) stopped to turn the wheel and change to a larger gear. Binda chased the second group with three teammates.
At the check point in Finale Ligure (220 km / 287 km), the leading quartet had an advantage of 1'22" over a group of eleven chasing riders being pulled by Guerra's Maino and Binda’s Legnano teams.
The groups came back together in Albenga (239 km / 287 km).
In the “tri-Capi" section, Capo Mele (245 km), Capo Cervo (256 km), and Capo Berta (262 km / 287 km), the action began to heat up when Binda punctured... AGAIN.
Francesco Camusso (Gloria) passed the summit of the Capo Berta first with teammate Pio Caimmi 29" behind. A select group including Guerra, Mara, Marchisio, Luigi Giacobbe (Maino) and Leonida Frascarelli (Legnano) rode hard trying to keep Binda from reconnecting with the leaders.
The leading pair was caught by the first chase group at the exit of Porto Maurizio (270 km / 287 km), when Mara and Caimmi were slowed by punctures, and Guerra's teammates began to fade.
15 km from the finish the Binda group returned to the head of the race (now a 15 rider lead group).
Coming into the finish in San Remo multiple attacks were chased down by Binda's teammates. The race set up for a brilliant sprint finish. Fast finisher Michele Mara lead out a long sprint with Learco Guerra (Maino) on his wheel. Brillantly Antonio Negrini (Legnano) led teammate Alfredo Binda past Guerra and a tiring Mara * for the prestigious victory!
Binda launched a devastating sprint
SPECIAL NOTE: * a slight controversy arose for the Bianchi team when Domenico Piemontesi failed to help his faster teammate, Michele Mara. Piemontesi finished third with Mara in fifth place.
SPECIAL NOTE: Additionally, there was a protest by Learco Guerra against Binda, who made an irregular move at 200 meters forcing Giuseppe Martano (Frejus) to swerve and disrupt the sprint. After review, no official action was taken.
SPECIAL NOTE: a 48-year-old Carlo Galetti (Isolati), winner of the Giro in 1910 and 1911, finished the 1931 M-SR in 69th place!!!
M-SR March 22, 1931 / 287 Km |
1.
Alfredo BINDA (Ita) 9h35'00" |
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3.
Domenico Piemontesi (Ita)
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Starters: 140 / Finishers: 106  Average Speed : 29.843 km/h |
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M-SR 1930
M-SR 1932
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