Stannard put in an impressive performance in freezing conditions at Milan–San Remo, initially riding on the front of the race in support of Geraint Thomas, then attacking with Sylvain Chavanel after Thomas crashed. Stannard led over the Poggio, only to be caught on the descent by a chase group of five riders. Stannard made a final move in the final two kilometres but was chased down by Peter Sagan, and he finished sixth in the sprint. Stannard was selected to ride the Tour de France for the first time in 2013, and played a key role as a domestique for Chris Froome, who went on to win the race overall.
