BEAST FROM THE EAST

Some classic wins are pure works of art, and Andrei Tchmil’s victory in the 1999 Milan-San Remo is one of those. With about 700 metres remaining, the compact rider in the lime green and orange Lotto jersey surges up the left of the lead group. It’s a textbook attack from about four places back in the line, as the riders jostle for position in the build-up to the sprint they all know is coming, and which they all know will be won by Erik Zabel, as it had been the previous two years. “Everyone was afraid to take off, but he made a clear move and won it,” recalls Max Sciandri, who finished 21st.

However, there was much more to it than that. Tchmil had come fifth in 1998 behind Zabel, but 1999 was a subtly different context, although superficially the same with a large group contesting the finish.

Marco Pantani had put in a big attack on the Cipressa, and the intense pace that move created had whittled down the front group. “There were sprinters without gregari, and gregari without sprinters,” says Tchmil. “I’d come over the Poggio in about fifth, so I knew that I was very strong. I wanted to attack there, but didn’t want to risk it.” One year, he had had