Nothing again: Van der Poel leaves Pogacar in despair

Van der Poel won the 116th edition in a sprint of a group of three after 289 kilometers ahead of two-time time trial world champion Filippo Ganna and Pogacar, who must now wait for his first victory in Sanremo.

"It's hard to believe. I was very focused. I knew Tadej was very strong. I felt good. This is the third win in a row for our team, which is unique," said van der Poel, adding, referring to Pogacar's attacks on the Poggio and Cipressa: "He tried to drop me. But I was very strong. I think I surprised him a bit when I opened the sprint at the 200-meter line. It was the right tactic."

Exchange of blows at the Poggio Earlier, Pogacar and van der Poel had engaged in a breathtaking battle on the Poggio. The Tour champion repeatedly launched fierce attacks, but the cyclo-cross world champion always stayed on the rear wheel. Finally, it was van der Poel who launched a surprise attack just before the crossing, similar to his 2023 victory. Pogacar didn't let himself be caught off guard this time, so the two of them went down the rapid descent together.

Beaten again: Tadej Pogacar © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Although the pace on the climb was too fast for former time trial world champion Ganna, the Italian with the big engine was able to make up the narrow deficit in the final kilometers. However, he also had no chance against van der Poel in the sprint.

Last year's winner Philipsen left behind Pogacar and his strong team, led by Cologne's Nils Politt, had already made the first preliminary decision at the Cipressa. The UAE team set a fast pace before Pogacar pushed the field open with a further increase in pace. Only van der Poel and Ganna were able to keep up, while the sprinters, like last year's winner and van der Poel's teammate Jasper Philipsen (Belgium), had to let go.

The Slovenian had thus achieved his first goal, as last year he narrowly lost out to third place in a sprint from a leading group against very fast riders like Philipsen and Michael Matthews. However, the 26-year-old failed to make it to Sanremo as a solo rider, as he did in his recent convincing victory at the Strade Bianche.

For Pogacar, it was already his fifth unsuccessful attempt at victory at La Classicissima. "Milan-San Remo will be the death of me... I'm so close, but it's so far away, it's unbelievable," Pogacar lamented beforehand.

Will Pogacar start at Paris-Roubaix? The cycling star intends to accelerate his pursuit of the five Monuments this year. Pogacar has already won the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and the Tour of Lombardy at least once in the past. He still hasn't won Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix. He hasn't yet decided whether he'll attempt the cobblestone ordeal for the first time.

Only former Belgian greats Eddy Merckx, Rik van Looy, and Roger De Vlaeminck have managed to win all five major classics. But that was about 50 years ago.

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Nothing again: Van der Poel leaves Pogacar in despair

First, Mathieu van der Poel brilliantly parried Tadej Pogacar's fiercest attacks on the Poggio, then the former world champion stormed to another victory on the Via Roma with a superb sprint. The Dutch cycling superstar triumphed at the spring classic Milan-Sanremo for the second time after 2023.

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