Van Steebergen's Powerful Sprint
The 45th Milan-San Remo Classicissimawas held on March 19, 1954.
The 1954 M-SR started from the Piazza Diaz in the center of Milan with cool temperatures and light rain. By the time the race hit the Ligurian coast the roads had dried and the racing heated up.
The peloton leaving Milan (Piazza Diaz).
Race Status:
After Ovada (113 km / 282 km), Donato Piazza (Bianchi) led a serious breakaway with Michele Gismondi (Bianchi), Stefano Gaggero (Bianchi), Antonio Medri (Bottecchia), and Frenchman Bernard Gauthier (Mercier).
On the Turchino Pass (131 km / 282 km), under a pouring rain, Donato Piazza (Bianchi) struggled and gave way to his teammate Gaggero, who passed the summit first. Further back World Champion Fausto Coppi urged the peloton to chase the breakaway.
After a regrouping on the roads of the Ligurian coast, a serious selection ignited the race.
In Alassio (215 km / 282 km), the 10-rider breakaway including Gastone Nencini (Legnano), Belgian Stan Ockers (Peugeot), Albino Crespi (Benotto), Remo Bartalini (Frejus), Marcello Ciolli (Frejus), Raoul Remy (Mercier), Adolfo Grosso (Atala), Pasquale Fornara (Bottecchia), Riccardo Filippi (Bianchi), and Mauro Gianneschi (Arbos) held a lead of 1'30".
Climbing the Capo Berta (257 km / 282 km), Fornara and Crespi crashed out of the breakaway. Filippi passed first over the top with Remy two bike-lengths behind. Ockers trailed by 56”, Coppi still trailing by 1’30”.
The peloton now shattered saw the elites of the race aggressively pursuing the breakaway. Big Belgian sprinter Rik Van Steenbergen worked hard to hold the aggressive pace.
Ockers rejoined quickly in Imperia (264 km / 282 km), while the peloton was coming back quickly, so much so that Bianchi's director sportif approached Filippi, ordering him not to help with the breakaway’s pace.
Three kilometers from the finish, the leading trio, Louison Bobet (Stella), Guido Messina (Frejus), and Donato Zampini (Bartali), were joined by Coppi, Petrucci, and Van Steenbergen.
Down the Via Roma Rik Van Steenbergen wasted little time and started the final effort at the 200-meter mark. The big Belgian sprinter used his superior closing speed to sprint away for the victory.
Rik Van Steenbergen wins the large sprint.
SPECIAL NOTE: M-SR was first shown on live television in 1954. The final 300 meters were aired live.
M-SR March 19, 1954 / 282 Km |
1.
Rik VAN STEENBERGEN (Bel) 7h10'03" |
2.
Francis Anastasi (Fra) |
3.
Giuseppe Favero (Ita) |
Starters: 219 / Finishers: 95  Average Speed : 39.343 km/h |
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M-SR 1953
M-SR 1955
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