INEOS reveal Sanremo tactic, including surprise joker: “It is fantastic to have one more card to play”

“Connor Swift and Jack Haig will act as support after the Turchino downhill to the Capi. It is a chaotic phase and we need to set up the position a bit earlier. After, we have Michal Kwiatkowski, Axel Laurance and Ben Turner for the phase on Capi into the Cipressa. After, we have Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling from the bottom of the Cipressa to the finish in theory,” Basso said via the INEOS Grenadiers team website.

Kwiatkowski will be the most experienced rider in the line-up. “Kwiato has, of course, won the race before and he will be our road captain. I think he is one of the best, or if not the best, in the group for understanding Milano-Sanremo and all the small details around the race. He is the best to have on board to manage the team in the crucial moments.” Basso added that the Pole is also hugely valuable for Ganna, the wider team and the staff in the car. “He will be fundamental.”

It will then be up to the stronger domestiques to deliver the leaders into position. “We expect a super strong UAE that want to attack and be aggressive on the Cipressa. Every team knows this, so the run into the Cipressa is likely to be more chaotic than last year. We can say clearly that Axel and Ben’s job is to go on the Cipressa. We have to be ready to go deep there and deliver Filippo in the best position possible.”

Ganna only just managed to stay in touch with Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel last year. Several times he looked close to cracking on the climbs, but thanks to his huge engine he still managed to close the gap in the final kilometre. INEOS Grenadiers know full well that the Slovenian world champion may make the race even harder this time, but the British squad believe they have to be prepared for every possible scenario.

“Last year, Pogacar unlocked a race scenario with his strong attack on the Cipressa. We hadn’t seen this for 30 years, so now everybody is expecting the same and we have to be ready for this scenario,” Basso explained. “But we also need an open mind and to be flexible because Sanremo is an unpredictable race. We have to be ready to change and adapt our plan based on the race conditions.”

It will not just be Ganna who is allowed to race for his own result. Tarling will get that opportunity as well. “He was flying at Paris-Nice so it is fantastic to have him on board without the pressure. His legs are there. We’re just going into the Cipressa with him and seeing what opportunities the race offers. The beauty of Sanremo is that there are thousands of scenarios that can happen, and it is fantastic to have one more card to play in the team.”

That is how INEOS Grenadiers hope to improve on last year’s result. Basso remains realistic, but also optimistic. “Last year was a strange break — the strongest break in the world! This is one of the best scenarios that we can think of. My feeling is that we have to be ready to adapt the plan in any case. Sanremo isn’t over until the finish line. It isn’t over until the last metre of Via Roma. We have to fight and be ready!”