Vino explains absence

"I've got a fixed programme until the Tour and I don't want to change it. Milan-Sanremo is not a race for me," the Astana co-leader told L'Equipe.

"Look at the scenario these last few years, the finish is almost always reserved for a sprinter, because the Poggio is not selective enough."

"You have to be a tough-man to support the pressure before the Cipressa, a tension that makes the peloton take lots of risks. At this point of the season, it's really not made for me."

Vino is on the heels of a surprise third-place performance in his season-opening race at the Tirreno-Adriatico, but said he would stick to his original racing programme, with the Grande Boucle remaining his ultimate goal.

"I was really surprised. I didn't think I would find myself at that level, especially not after a week on antibiotics after a dental infection. I came to Italy to train," Vino said of his Tirreno-Adriatico performance.

The Kazakh star plans to return for the April 23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic and says he wants to be a contender in that race.

"At Liege I will be there to aim very high. That will be my first true test of the season, an important stage in view of my progress for the Tour."