In his first Milan - San Remo, Julien Berard spent a good part of the day in front of the race.

Professional since 2010, he had never participated in Milan - San Remo before. Being a member of an 11-rider breakaway, the Savoyard was caught with 30km to go. After 265 km on the attack, he evaluates his day.

"With the rain it was better in the front," he said. "The peloton never gave us a big advantage and so our escape was a lost cause. I do not like the rain, there is always stress. It was better to be in the front of the race.

"The breakaway was fast and I managed the day well. Although the race is the longest of the year (304 km with the neutral zone), it's a pretty classic race, I insisted to the end because when you ride a monument like Milan-Sanremo, you cannot stop. I'm happy, I have good feelings again. This bodes well for the future, including the races next week in Corsica."