Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) is ready to pursue his best ever result at Milan-San Remo as the classics begin on Sunday.

"I'm feeling better and better on the bike,” the Norwegian said on Teamsky.com “I haven't had any big results to shout about yet this year but hopefully they will come in the next few weeks."

Fresh from a block of altitude training in Tenerife with his Sky teammates, Boasson Hagen is anxious to improve on the 25th place he accomplished in last year's race after spending most of the day in the lead group before being dropped in the closing stages.

“I haven’t really done many races so far this season but I’m happy with my form,” said the 25-year-old ahead of the first Monument of the season.

Boasson Hagen even went as far as compiling a classics wish list, and explained that the longest race of the season ranks quite high in his mind, only surpassed by the Belgian cobblestones classics. “It comes pretty high. Roubaix is first, then Flanders and then San Remo,” he confirmed.

Last year’s race turned out to be a bittersweet experience for Boasson Hagen, who made the decisive split but without team-mates to rally around him, saw his rivals leave him marooned over the top of the famous Poggio climb.

“Last year I went quite well,” he reminisces. “I was in the group all the way to the last climb but I was just on the limit to make it over. It was one of the better Milan-San Remos I’ve done so hopefully I can be even stronger this year. I want to be in the first group over the last climb.”

Experience
Having an intimate knowledge of the route and the intricacies of the climbs is a key element to success in the Milan-San Remo. From the Passo del Turchino to Le Manie, the Cipressa and Poggio, Boasson knows what awaits him but he is also weary of the length of the race.

“I’ve done the race four times now and I’ve seen the climbs on a lot of videos. I’ve always done recons of the climbs so I’m familiar with them. You do 200 km before the first climb, and 250 or so before the next one, so it’s the length before the climbs that makes them hard - and also the speed. They are not really steep but everything you’ve been through before you get to them makes it tough.”