SAN REMO, Italy (AP) β Alexander Kristoff sprinted to victory in the Milan-San Remo classic on Sunday, edging out 2008 winner Fabian Cancellara on a wet and rainy course for the biggest win of his career.
Kristoff pulled away in the closing meters to win the 294-kilometer (183 mile) race in 6 hours, 55 minutes, 56 seconds and become the first Norwegian to triumph in the one-day race.
Cancellara finished on the podium for the fourth successive year, while Ben Swift edged out sprint specialist and 2009 winner Mark Cavendish for third place.
Vincenzo Nibali had seemed on course for victory after attacking on the penultimate climb of the day with 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) remaining. But the Giro d’Italia champion was swallowed back up by the chasing pack with 8K (5 miles) to go.
