Landslide on Via Aurelia won't alter tenor of Milan-San Remo

Arenzano features on the Milan-San Remo route with around 130km remaining, shortly after the gruppo descends from the Passo del Turchino and hits the Ligurian coast on its way to the capi that punctuate the finale.

According to GenovaToday, the landslide took place on Sunday evening, with some 2,000 cubic metres of debris tumbling into the Via Aurelia and blocking the road. No injuries were reported in the incident. 

The cause of the collapse is not clear, but initial reports suggest that a rockfall protection net may have failed. The landslide took place near the Pizzo tunnel, which was close to the site of a similar landslide in 2016. 

Mayor of Arenzano Francesco Silvestrini indicated that it would take four of five days to clear the debris so the road could reopen single lane traffic, though there was a risk of a longer closure.

“It will then be necessary to understand how much work the hill needs and what kind,” Silvestrini said. “The fear is that a situation like the one in 2016, exactly ten years ago, which caused the road to be closed for months, could happen again.”

That comment prompted BiciSport to speculate on the possibility that the route of this year’s Milan-San Remo would have to be modified. That may yet prove to be the case, but it is highly unlikely to make any material difference to the outcome of the race on March 21.

Ten years ago, when that similar landslide occurred at Arenzano, the Milan-San Remo gruppo was briefly directed off the Via Aurelia and onto a nearby section motorway to avoid the blocked section of road, before swiftly rejoining the original route. That year’s Milan-San Remo was won by Arnaud Démare in a dramatic sprint finish after a frantic – and controversial – chase following a crash on the Cipressa. 

Milan-San Remo is no stranger to late alterations to the route. In 2013, heavy snowfall saw the race interrupted ahead of the Turchino, with riders transported by bus to the restart in Cogoleto. The pandemic-delayed edition of 2020, meanwhile, saw a major change when mayors in several towns along the Ligurian coast objected to the race’s passage. The race instead followed a novel route through Piedmont, missing the Capo Berta, Capo Mele and Capo Cerva before joining the traditional finale ahead of the Cipressa and Poggio.

At this point, any modifications required in 2026 would be altogether more minor, with the landslide sited some 130km from the finish line. The strategies of Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar et al won't be impacted in the slightest.