The 1960 Milan-San Remo
Revenge for René Privat

Before the start of the 1960 Milan-San Remo Joseph Ambrosini invited the riders to turn a thought to those who had recently departed - Fausto Coppi, the victim of a tragic fate, Armando Cougnet (Director of the Gazzetta dello Sport and chief organiser of the Giro d'Italia) and cyclist Gérard Saint who had died three days earlier in a car accident. All uncovered their heads and bowed. Then the painful recollection turned into an incentive to do well.

René Privat had come very close to winning two years earlier. He had been in a break that started 13km into the race and had rode alone after the Capo Berta. He was caught with only 3 km remaining on the Capo Verde. 1960 saw him take his revenge.

The first break of the day saw the Italians Maule and Brenioli along with the Belgian Vloebergs who gained an advantage of two minutes at km 45. At Tortona (km 77) five Italians, Minieri, Salviato, Pizzali, Garello and Pellegrini joined them.

Pozzolo Formigare (km 92) produced the essential phase of the race when 12 men went clear of the peloton in pursuit of the fugitives. They were the Belgians Molenaers and Foré, the French Cazala and Privat, Simpson from England, the Spaniard Otano and Italians Tomasin, Tamagni, Bruni, Liviero, Pambianco and Baffi. This was a group of good riders and it only took twelve kilometres of chasing to catch the leading eight on the lower slopes of the Turchino. Tom Simpson decided that they were not going fast enough and by raising the speed slightly went off alone. Simpson, his face impassive behind dark glasses, seemed astonished by the enthusiasm he received and continued over the top of the Turchino in the lead.

At Voltri (km 155) Simpson was still leading with the 19 chasers at 1' 40" and Nencini and Carlesi at 3 minutes. It took the two Italians only 10 kilometres to join the escape group. Simpson stayed out in front for 45 km before being reintegrated with the Privat group.

Km 215 and the leading group was down to 12 - Pambianco, Nencini, Carlesi, Molenaers, Foré, Privat, Simpson, Cazala, Otano, Bruni, Liviero and Baffi. At Alassio they had 2 minutes advantageOver the Capo Mele, Baffi was the first to be dropped. At Capo Berta the leaders were down to 7 - Nencini, Privat, Cazala, Pambianco, Otano, Molenaers and Simpson. Privat said "I could see that they were all finished except Nencini so I attacked on the Capo Berta". His attack was unsuccessful and René Privat would have to wait until the lower slopes of the Poggio.

The Poggio was being used for the first time in 1960 in an attempt by the organisers to prevent a sprint finish becoming the norm. Behind the chasing group with Van Looy, Poblet, De Bruyne and Rivière reacted with violence but were not able to overcome the disadvantage. 

Six riders started the ascent of the Poggio with Privat in third position waiting to launch his final race winning move. Behind him the Faema team were on the front in an attempt set up the sprint for Van Looy. Jean Graczyk riding hard lead the peloton onto the Poggio. Graczyk was rewarded with second place and if it was not for taking a wrong turn he may well have caught Privat!