A few days ago, Marcel Kittel said he may ride Milan-Sanremo if he could climb well enough at Paris-Nice. The big German hasn’t even been able to contest a stage finish and his Monument debut will not happen at La Classicisima next Sunday.

“That’s a rumor,” Kittel told VeloNews on whether he might race Sanremo. “I stated my racing program, and I am staying with that. I don’t want to make excuses, but the weather has not been very nice. Now I will prepare for my next objectives.”

Kittel had looked really lean and was already at five wins before this race. However, his lack of power on the climbs will mean he misses Sanremo, as Etixx-QuickStep have better options with Vakoc, Stybar, Brambilla, Serry all on form, with Trentin and Gaviria ready to sprint if necessary.