After Paris-Nice and the Double Sea Race concluded, the next event on the World Tour calendar was Milan-San Remo. One of the five major Monuments of cycling, it was the first of the season, set to take place in Italy in six days, on March 16.
For the Bora Team, this race was one they had absolutely no chance of winning.
Never mind that the field was packed with top-tier talent; the Bora Team itself lacked elite sprinters and classics specialists.
Looking at this year's roster of competitors, the list of favorites alone was enough to make Sports Director Aldag's vision go dark.
At the top of that list was the UAE Team's Pogačar.
