Poggio Climb has been Repaired in Time for Milan – San Remo 2020

Philippe Gilbert and Peter Sagan say they've ridden smoothly over the climb despite earlier fears the climb wouldn’t be repaired in time

Concerns were raised over Xmas to the condition of the road following landslides on the climb, with authorities taking the decision to close the road due to the ground being unstable.

Philippe Gilbert (Lotto-Soudal) and Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) have confirmed the roads are back to normal, saying they had ridden smoothly over the climb during recent training trips.

Gilbert will be looking to complete his set of Monuments with a Milan – San Remo win, but will face stiff competition in former Deceuninck – Quick-Step team-mate and reigning champion Julian Alaphilippe.

The Italian one-day race, which features nearly 300km of racing, is the first Monument of the season, beginning in the Italian city of Milan before heading south towards the coastal city of San Remo.

The climb, Poddio di San Remo, is 3.7km-long and average 3.7 per cent, with a maximum gradient of eight per cent near its summit.

Starting with 9.2km to the finish, the ascent has been the kicking off point for a number of unforgettable victories, including the winning breakaway that set up Julian Alaphilippe in 2019 and Vincenzo Nibali’s solo dive the year before.