From "I think I can win" to DNS for Powless; EF will compete with Bettiol and Van den Berg in Milan-San Remo

EF Education-EasyPost will be racing in Milan-San Remo this Saturday without Neilson Powless. The 27-year-old American, who had highlighted La Primavera as a key objective, shared his enthusiasm during Tirreno-Adriatico with IDLProCycling.com. Unfortunately, his plans were derailed by a knee injury.

During the second day of the Tirreno, Powless sat down with this site, brimming with aspirations for the upcoming weeks. He aimed to improve on his seventh-place finish from last year's Sanremo. "In Milan-San Remo, I will need to be more aggressive. However, it remains a long race where you have to manage your energy well, so you can be explosive in the finale. I'm entering the classics with a lot of confidence, hoping to do better than last year."

However, a crash on the sixth day of the Tirreno forced Powless to abandon with knee issues. These have now put an end to his participation in the first Monument of 2024. It's a disappointment for the man who had decided last winter that he was done with riding for the general classification for a while. "At this moment, I'm a one-day racer. I can ride a good general classification in a week-long stage race, but in, for example, the Tour de France, that's not possible," he said about it.

For that reason, he's set to participate in almost all the classics, and therefore definitely the major ones. The Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race, Liege-Bastogne-Liege... "I think I can win, that's the goal. You want to improve, to reach a level where you can win. I don't know if I'll ever be the strongest rider in a race I compete in, but I am strong enough to play it tactically and give myself a chance to do that. Every year I get a bit stronger, which also boosts my confidence. I work hard on getting a little better each year. My body is making progress, and you have to let that happen."

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EF Education-EasyPost starts with Bettiol, Van den Berg, and Valgren

With Powless out, EF Education-EasyPost must focus on other names this Saturday. Fortunately for the American team, Alberto Bettiol demonstrated his readiness to be a leader with a winning 30-kilometer solo ride. He will be joined by Andrey Amador, Jonas Rutsch, Harry Sweeny, Yuhi Todome, and Michael Valgren. The Dutchman Marijn van den Berg is also in the lineup, making his comeback after a concussion sustained at the Tour of the Algarve in Milan-Turin. Should it come down to a sprint from a reduced group...

With Powless dropping out, EF Education-EasyPost must aim for other names on Saturday. Fortunately for the American team, Alberto Bettiol showed with a 30-kilometer winning solo that he is ready for a leader's role. The Italian will have Andrey Amador, Jonas Rutsch, Harry Sweeny, Yuhi Todome  and Michael Valgren with him. Dutchman Marijn van den Berg is also in the race, having made his comeback after suffering a concussion, sustained in the Tour of the Algarve in Milan-Turin. Should it come to a sprint from a small group...

In a press release from EF Education-EasyPost, Valgren is highlighted especially for La Primavera. The Dane calls Milan-San Remo his favorite race. Interestingly, his best result was a 25th place in 2023. "I love this race because I love Italy. I've had some very good experiences and I want revenge for 2022, when I had a flat in the descent, missing out on a top ten. I want to be up there with the best, whatever my role may be. We're aiming for a result, that's for sure."

Will Valgren be the top performer for EF this Saturday? He doesn't rule it out, but: "I've finished a few times in a larger group, where there was always a faster man in our team. Then the task is to find him and get him to the front. It's a fast finish on the Via Roma, but I'm convinced that if we execute well as a team, we'll have two or three riders at the front."