39th Milan-San Remo 1948 (Italy)

Coppi's Second M-SR Victory

The 1948 Milan-San Remo was won by Fausto Coppi from the powerful Italian Bianchi team.

Two riders broke away from the pack on the climb of the Turchino Pass, but Coppi caught the breakaway on the descent with eleven others. On the climb of the Alassio, the first of the short Capo climbs, the lead group was down to four riders. Sensing weakness in the breakaway, Coppi looked at his breakaway companions Fermo Camellini, Aldo Baito, and Vittorio Rossello and prepared the decisive attack.

Fausto Coppi made his move on the Capo Mele with 45 km to go and broke away alone. His effort was so hard he crossed the finish line in San Remo over five minutes ahead of the second place Vittorio Rossello.

SPECIAL NOTE: The 1948 Milan-San Remo was the inaugural race of a new season-long competition the Challenge Desgrange-Colombo. It was named after Henri Desgrange (original organizer of the Tour de France) and Emilio Colombo (original organizers of the Giro d'Italia) and was run by four European sports newspapers L'Équipe, La Gazzetta dello Sport, Het Nieuwsblad-Sportwereld and Les Sports.

M-SR 1947

M-SR 1949

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