Cipressa: A Milan–San Remo Climb

The second-to-last climb of Milan–San Remo, straight up from the sea to the church tower of Cipressa: 5.65km at 4.1%. I've ridden it from our base in Imperia on two trips: four times up the ridge in one afternoon in 2022, and twice more in September 2026, when I photographed every kilometre board.

If you follow pro cycling, you know the name. Every March the riders of Milan–San Remo come along this coast after nearly 300km, turn inland at San Lorenzo al Mare, and race up to Cipressa, the climb that starts to break the race up before the Poggio. We've stayed in Imperia, just along the coast, several times, so it's become one of my regular rides.

Milan–San Remo And The Cipressa

Milan–San Remo, La Classicissima, was first held in 1907 and is the longest one-day professional race in modern road cycling, at around 298km. The route crosses the Apennines at the Passo del Turchino, drops to the sea, and follows the Ligurian coast over three short capes between Alassio and Imperia: Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta. Then come the two climbs that decide it. The Poggio, 5.4km from the finish, was added in 1960. The Cipressa was added in 1982 to toughen the race before the Poggio. The finish is on Via Roma in Sanremo. Eddy Merckx won it a record seven times; Mathieu van der Poel won in 2025, and in 2026 Tadej Pogačar.

The climb starts on the coast at San Lorenzo al Mare and finishes in the village of Cipressa, a hilltop village of about 1,200 people, where the bell tower of the church marks the top. The official board at the summit gives the numbers: 5,650m long, 234m of climbing, 4.1% average and 9% at the steepest. It's not long or steep by Alpine standards. What makes it hard in the race is the speed they hit it at.

Ride 1Four Times Up The Cipressa RidgeFriday 30 September 2022

Ride 1, from my GPS track. Green: Imperia. Along the coast to San Lorenzo, then four climbs up to the Cipressa ridge (red) from the coast at Aregai and below Costarainera, and back. This ride on Strava →

44.7kmDistance

981mClimbing

243mHighest point (Cipressa)

5mLowest point (the sea)

2h 18mMoving time

14:54–17:27Out on the road (2h 33m)

19.3km/hAverage moving speed

48.5km/hTop speed

1,345Calories

4Times up the ridge

How The Day Went

14:54 – 15:26

Ascent oneImperia → San Lorenzo → up to Cipressa

9.4km+214m

15:26 – 15:42

Back to the sea

5.9km

15:42 – 16:03

Ascent twothe coast → Costarainera

4.4km+224m5% average

16:03 – 16:10

Down to Aregai

3.5km−195m

16:10 – 16:31

Ascent threeAregai → Cipressa

3.2km+183m5.7% average

16:31 – 16:42

Down to Aregai

3.1km

16:42 – 17:00

Ascent fourAregai → Cipressa

3.2km+179m5.5% average4 min faster

17:00 – 17:26

Home along the coast→ Imperia

11.7km

An afternoon of repeats. I rode along the coast from Imperia to San Lorenzo and up to Cipressa the first time, then dropped back to the sea and kept going up and down: once below Costarainera and then twice straight up from Aregai to the village, 3.2km and about 180m each time, at 5.5 to 5.7%. The last one took me 18 minutes, four minutes quicker than the one before. 44.7km and 981m of climbing in two hours 18 minutes of riding, with Strava's Wandrer.earth note telling me I'd now covered a quarter of the roads of Santo Stefano al Mare.

The road sign for Cipressa with a cycle-route marker underneath — 15:30, at the top of the first ascent: the sign for Cipressa.

The view from the Cipressa road down to the Ligurian sea — 17:07, after the fourth: the view back down to the sea.

Ride 2The Race Climb, Kilometre By KilometreSunday 27 September 2026

Ride 2, from my GPS track (COROS). Green: Imperia. Up past Costarainera to Cipressa, down to Aregai and back up to the top, down to Santo Stefano al Mare (white) for coffee, and home along the coast.

39.6kmDistance

606mClimbing

236mHighest point (Cipressa)

14mLowest point (the sea)

2h 03mMoving time

13:33–16:21Out on the road (2h 48m)

19.2km/hAverage moving speed

43.1km/hTop speed

130 / 160Heart rate, average / max (bpm)

1,305Calories

COROSRecorded on

How The Day Went

13:33 – 14:08

Up the back wayImperia → San Lorenzo → Costarainera → Cipressa

9.3km+202m

14:08 – 14:22

Down to Aregai

3.5km−173m

14:22 – 14:49

Up from the coastAregai → Cipressa

4.2km+178mfinish board at 14:46

14:49 – 15:32

Down past the kilometre boardsCipressa → Santo Stefano al Mare

12.2kmphotos of every board

15:33 – 15:57

CoffeeSanto Stefano al Mare

24 min

15:57 – 16:19

Home along the coast→ Imperia

9.9kmflat

Four years later, on the September 2026 trip, I went back and did it properly, from the coast. First the back way up through Costarainera to the village, with the view out over the sea, then down to Aregai on the coast and back up to the official finish board by the church. Coming back down I stopped at each of the kilometre boards along the climb, so these photos read from the top down.

A cycling sign shaped like a rider with the name Cipressa, by the road at the top of the climb — 14:11: Cipressa, signed for cyclists.

The Ligurian sea under a bright sun, seen from the hillside at Cipressa — 14:13: the view from the top.

The coast and a harbour seen from above Cipressa in hazy afternoon light — 14:19: looking along the coast.

The official finish board of the Cipressa climb: 5650m, 234m climbed, 4.1% average, 9% maximum, Congratulations — 14:46, at the top of the race climb: the finish board. 5,650m, 234m, 4.1% average, 9% max.

A kilometre board on the Cipressa climb for 4000 to 5000 metres, 1.8% average and 4% maximum — 14:56, heading down: the board for the last kilometre, 4,000–5,000m, the easiest at 1.8%.

A kilometre board on the Cipressa climb for 2000 to 3000 metres, 4.6% average and 5% maximum — 15:07: kilometre three, 2,000–3,000m, 4.6%.

The name MATHIEU painted in white on the road surface of the Cipressa climb — 15:09: “MATHIEU” painted on the road, for Van der Poel.

The start board of the Cipressa climb: start, 1000m, 5.6% average and 7% maximum — 15:17, at the bottom: the first kilometre is the steepest, 5.6% and up to 7%.

A latte and a cycling helmet on a café table by the sea at Santo Stefano al Mare — 15:38: coffee by the sea at Santo Stefano al Mare.

Then a coffee by the sea at Santo Stefano al Mare and the flat run home along the coast. 39.6km and 606m in just over two hours of riding.

Around The Rides

My wife with our dog Lillie in a bike basket at a coastal viewpoint near Cipressa — My wife and Lillie at a viewpoint near Cipressa; Lillie rides in the basket (2 October 2022).

Coffee on a café table near the coast below Cipressa — Coffee down on the coast (2 October 2022).

Bikes on the palm-lined coast road below Cipressa — The coast road below the climb (August 2021).

A motorhome aire by the coast below Cipressa — The camper stop on the coast below Cipressa, on an earlier trip (April 2019).

Where It Is

Cipressa (marker) above the coast between San Lorenzo al Mare and Santo Stefano al Mare; Imperia is to the east.