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Here is a list of the big favourites for the Spring Classicissima: from the specialist Freire to Petacchi, from Cancellara to Pozzato. Vote in the poll: who will win?
 MILAN, 20 March 2008 – Fifteen names for the Classicissima. Fifteen candidates for the first big title of the season. Here are all the hot favourites for the 99th Milan-Sanremo.
Oscar FREIRE (Spain/Rabobank) – He won two stages of the Tyrrhenian. He has already won the Sanremo in 2004 and 2007. He is the man to beat.
Paolo BETTINI (Italy/Quick Step) – He is not in great form, but he is a born fighter and will want to do justice to the world champion’s shirt.
Fabian CANCELLARA (Switzerland/CSC) – He won the Tyrrhenian showing himself to be in great form. He has previously won a Roubaix and can be dangerous on the downhill from Poggio.
Filippo POZZATO (Italy/Liquigas) – He was the last Italian winner. Success slipped him by in the Tyrrhenian but he has the talent to win anything.
Danilo NAPOLITANO (Italy/Lampre) – He was in difficulty at the start of the Tyrrhenian, but he finished with a second place in the San Benedetto sprint.
Robbie MC EWEN (Australia/Silence Lotto) - He has belief and has justified it a number of times in the final 100 km of a race.
Tom BOONEN (Belgium/Quick Step) - He was invisible in the Tyrrhenian, but he opted for the Italian race instead of the Paris-Nice so that he can be fully prepared.
Davide REBELLIN (Italy/Gerolsteiner) – He won the Paris-Nice. Sanremo is his dream race.
Riccardo RICCO' (Italy/Saunier Duval-Scott) – It depends on how he has recovered from the fall at Montelupone a few days ago. His pelvis and right buttock are still sore. If these doubts are resolved today, he will try to come up with something.
Enrico GASPAROTTO (Italy/Barloworld) – He has really come on and rode a great Tyrrhenian. Combative, he may be a surprise.
Thor HUSHOVD (Norway/Credit Agricole) – He dominated the sprints in the Paris-Nice.
Alessandro BALLAN (Italy/Lampre) – He fell in the final stage of the Tyrrhenian on Tuesday, but it is nothing to worry about. The man from Fiandre is ready to strike.
Alessandro PETACCHI (Italy/Milram) – He has already won 5 races this season and is very well prepared to try for an encore in the Sanremo.
Erik ZABEL (Germany/Milram) – He has already won the Sanremo 4 times. He is Petacchi’s forerunner but could be the surprise.
Danilo DI LUCA (Italy/LPR) – The race is not for him, but he wants a big impact on his return.
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