The race departed from Milan at 7:30 am on a brilliantly sunny, Italian day.
When the starter’s flag dropped Allegro Grandi (Isolati) immediately broke away on the plains of Lombardia. He was joined by Giovanni Cazzulani (Gloria) and the Belgian Felicien Vervaecke (Ganna).
The three riders work well together in the breakaway and arrive in Pavia (20 km into the race / 282 km), with more than a minute lead on five other chasers.
After Bressana (50 km / 282 km), German Herbert Sieronski (Dei), Giuseppe Cassin (Isolati), and Michele Orecchia (Gloria) caught the lead trio and aggressively increased their advantage.
The six-rider breakaway had their lead increased to 10’00” in Novi Ligure (94 km / 282 km).
The breakaway reached the summit of the Turchino Pass (131 km /282 km) with Orecchia passing first to win the mountain preme.
In Savona (170 km / 282 km), original attacker Allegro Grandi (Isolati) was exhausted and abandoned on the Colletta climb. The five survivors arrived together but began to show signs of fatigue.
Behind the breakaway, at the check point in Varazze (180 km / 282 km), an elite 12 rider chase group formed with: Aldo Canazza (Gloria), Francesco Camusso (Gloria), Bernardo Rogora (Gloria), Severino Canavesi (Legnano), Michele Mara (Bianchi), Giulio Rimoldi (Bianchi), Joseph Demuysere (Genial Lucifer), Giuseppe Graglia (Isolati), Carlo Romanatti (Ganna), Suisse rider Paul Egli (Oscar Egg), Michel Grassi (Isolati), and Adalino Mealli (Isolati).
At Capo Noli (210 km / 282 km), Cazzulani attacked his breakaway companions and escaped solo, while the chasing group caught the four dropped riders from the morning’s breakaway.
Cazzulani's dream of arriving solo in San Remo was shattered just after Alassio (234 km / 282 km), when the elite chase group passed him. The race took off at 36 km/h approaching the “tri-Capi” section [Capo Mele (242 km), Capo Cervo (248 km), Capo Berta (255 km)].
The first two Capi were climbed at an incredible speed, but the race would be decided on Capo Berta. With a brilliant attack Belgian Joseph Demuysere rode away from teammates Camusso and Cazzulani.
