The Sigma Sports Cafe Ride - Michael Matthews
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Michael Matthews takes Matt Stephens on a recce of the final 30 kilometres of Milan Sanremo in this fascinating episode of the Sigma Sports Café Ride. After a hot lap of Monaco, at the legal speed limit, Michael takes Matt to the foot of the Cipressa where the duo climb two of the most iconic hills in cycling, giving us an insight to how the gradient feels on race day.
As one of the five cycling Monuments, Milan Sanremo is a firm favourite on the calendar of so many cycling fans, because the race is usually decided by how the favourites attack on those final 30 kilometres. Seeing the familiar sites of the Poggio when the circus is not in town only highlights the transformative spectacle of bike racing. The Team Jayco–AlUla rider might be one of the fastest men in the pro peloton (Michael, not Matt), with multiple wins at all three grand tours in his palmares (again Michael, not Matt). But today he’s tackling the Via Roma at rush hour… could this be the slowest finish Sanremo we’ll ever see?
The Bike
A bike to tackle one of cycling's Monuments needs to have some serious performance credentials and we didn't hold back when it comes to Matt's machine for this iconic Milan San Remo route. Mr Stephens clipped in and took on the Cipressa and Poggio aboard the stunning Argon18 SUM Pro RED AXS Road Bike.
As the name suggests, this bike has been equipped with SRAM's flagship RED AXS groupset. The top of the range components do not end there though, with Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, mounted to Zipp 454 NSW wheels. Finishing touches include a Repente Prime 3.0 saddle and Vision Metron 5D ACR EVO handlebar.
The Kit
Embracing the late winter sun on the Italian slopes, Matt opted to layer his outfit with the help of Universal Colours' autumn/winter range. Going down the white helmet, sunglasses and shoes route, a solid choice for those looking to complement their outfit, Matt chose KASK's Elemento Road Helmet, 100% Slendale Sunglasses and Lake CX242 Road Shoes.
Want to explore the series? Find out about the other Sigma Sports Cafe Ride guests and watch all the episodes.