The Latin proverb can be used in many ways to describe different moments of courage but it is especially fitting for this year's Milan-San Remo and revived Milan-San Remo Women.
There were many moments of bravery displayed on Saturday. Tadej Pogačar and Elisa Longo Borghini were amongst the bravest but received little fortune as they gave their all to try to win the Monument only to ultimately be defeated by their rivals and destiny. Lorena Wiebes and Mathieu van der Poel were the fortunate winners.
The cycling gods often reward bravery and arguably the biggest recipient was the sport itself and Milan-San Remo organisers RCS Sport. Saturday was a day of thrilling action, with a double dose of big-name racing, complex tactics and lots of emotions.
RCS Sport recreated the women's race and their investment and efforts were rewarded with a historic day of women's racing and then a men's race for the ages. Women's race director Giusy Virelli was another winner and deserves praise and recognition. We now, finally, have a complete San Remo race, compressed into the same afternoon, just like the emotions of the Poggio finale.
There were no major high-speed attacks on the Cipressa or Poggio in the women's race but Longo Borghini showed her bravery once more. Her efforts were hindered by a lack of a fast finish and so she again played her cards as best as possible with a solo attack in the final two kilometres.
The Italian national champion was caught in the Via Roma, with victory just out of reach after an act of generosity from world champion Lotte Kopecky. She sacrificed her own chances to chase Longo Borghini and set up Wiebes for the sprint.
Wiebes didn't know if she would have a chance of victory when she rolled out of Genoa in the rain and on Saturday morning and no doubt suffered on the Poggio. She was rewarded with the most prestigious victory of her career.
There were similar mixed fortunes and contrasting emotions in the men's race but their bravery was rewarded in one way or another.
Van der Poel emerged as the winner of his second Milan-San Remo and his seventh Monument. Filippo Ganna was second but bravely fought back time and time again in a show of defiance, while Tadej Pogačar was bold and even brazen with his Cipressa and Poggio attacks but got little reward for his efforts, at least this year.
"In races like Milan-San Remo, it's not about who is the fastest but who is the strongest," van der Poel said of his perfectly executed sprint finish, but perhaps also referring to his strategy of going with Pogačar attack and suffering in his wheel.
Pogačar was not so happy in San Remo but will surely be rewarded with victory in the years to come. He needs to improve his strategy and find another tactical or physical edge that can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Mark Cavendish won Milan-San Remo at the first attempt, while others needed years to land a career-defining win, others were always defeated and years of tying.
Audentes fortuna iuvat Tadej and Elisa! See you next year for another show of Milan-San Remo bravery.
