Degenkolb times it right to win Milan-San Remo (Reuters)
Germany’s John Degenkolb celebrated the biggest triumph of his career after winning the Milan-San Remo one-day race, the first of the season’s five “Monument” classics, on Sunday. The Giant-Alpecin rider stayed safe in the peloton during the 293-km ride, the longest of the World Tour season, and then easily outsprinted defending champion Alexander Kristoff of Norway (Katusha) on the Via Roma. “Last year it was the biggest disappointment of my career,” said Degenkolb, who had been ruled out of the finale with a puncture. “And this year I add my name to the list of prestigious winners, it’s the biggest win of my career.” Australian Michael Matthews took third place for Orica-GreenEdge while classic specialists Peter Sagan of Slovakia (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Swiss Fabian Cancellara (Trek) were never in the mix for the win, finshing fourth and seventh respectively.