Mathieu van der Poel emerged winner of the Milan-San Remo one-day cycling classic on Saturday
The Dutchman held off Filippo Ganna and Tadej Pogacar to win his second Milan-San Remo in a thriller.
The Dutchman and Italian Ganna were the only riders able to follow three-time Tour de France champion Pogacar’s attack with 25km of the 289km race remaining.
“It’s hard to believe – I was really focused on trying to get the win.
“I surprised them a bit when on the 300m sign, I launched my sprint. I felt strong enough to keep it until the finish line and it was the right tactic,” said Van der Poel, 30.
Pogacar and Van der Poel traded blows as they went clear on the final climb, before Ganna reeled them in and set up a three-man sprint finish.
Alpecin-Deceuninck’s Van der Poel kicked for the line first, using his immense power to get the better of his rivals and follow up his victory in the race in 2023.
He recorded his seventh win across the five oldest races in men’s cycling, drawing him level with Pogacar after another epic tussle between two of the finest riders of their generation.
Van der Poel, Ganna and Pogacar were among the favourites for victory in the first Monument of the season but a race featuring predictable protagonists thrilled throughout.
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A eight-man break went clear in cold and rainy conditions early on before they were caught.
Slovenia’s Pogacar, seeking his first Milan San-Remo title after three consecutive top-five finishes, used his UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad to set up a devastating move on the Cipressa climb before more attacks on the Poggio.
As the riders looked at each other approaching the final straight, Van der Poel made the decisive move, leaving Ineos Grenadiers’ Ganna to finish runner-up to him, as he did in 2023, with Pogacar taking third for the second year in a row.
Only six riders have more Monument victories than Van der Poel and Pogacar, with Gino Bartali, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara also winning seven in their careers.
In the women’s race, staged for the first time since 2005, Dutch rider Lorena Wiebes edged out compatriot Marianne Vos and Switzerland’s Noemi Ruegg.
