Normally the weather is relatively cold but dry for Milan-San Remo, and even if it rains, the riders only have to contend with water. On Sunday the Turchino Pass at 532 m above sea level had more than 20 cm of wet, slushy snow, making the roads impassable for most cars and all bicycles.

"The cold completely changed the race. The snow in the second hour of racing was accumulating on the riders’ hands, arms, chests, faces and helmets, and they were too cold to continue safely. For the organizers to stop the race and put the riders on warm busses to take them over Turchino Pass was the best solution possible, but it didn't necessarily make the race any easier," said Astana Pro Team directeur sportif Alexandr Shefer on the Astana website.

All riders in the race entered their respective team busses at Ovada, some 116 km into the race. After an hour of driving, the race resumed in Arenzano at km 154 and the competition was restarted.

But the cold rain continued on the Mediterranean coast, and Vincenzo Nibali, who, ironically, had said that he preferred cold and rainy conditions to warm and sunny circumstances, withdrew from the race after another hour in the freezing cold along with teammates Francesco Gavazzi and Alessandro Vanotti.

"Nibali was just cold. He couldn't hold the handlebars safely on the descent, and it was not possible for him to continue. In perfect weather we had a strategy to put him at the front of the race, and to go for victory. But today the weather won," Shefer said.