Aero tech on show at Milan-San Remo: A tech gallery from the season's first Monument

While the early season races are certainly of interest, especially with all the tech we saw at Opening Weekend, nothing signals the start of the racing season quite like the first monument of the year, Milan-San Remo. At over 300km long it's a hefty undertaking, but as the famous adage goes: "It's the easiest to finish and the hardest to win".

Unlike races like Paris-Roubaix, or the Tour of Flanders, where the action is peppered throughout, at Milan - San Remo the real action almost always takes place over the final two climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio. They're not overly long, or overly steep, so no need for the best lightweight bikes. Moreover, there are hundreds of kilometres of build-up beforehand, where saving every last watt counts. That, combined with a flat finish that often comes down to a sprint, means riders tend to opt for the best aero road bikes for the day.

We managed to grab a few snaps before the start of the race to see what setups the pros were running ahead of such a long day in the saddle.