Ganna gains nothing from seemingly impossible performance: “Only Van der Poel will be remembered”

Mathieu van der Poel took the win, Tadej Pogacar launched the attacks, but the man of the race in Milan-San Remo may very well have been Filippo Ganna. The Italian pulled off the seemingly impossible by staying within reach of Pogacar over both the Cipressa and the Poggio, and then, after a powerful comeback, still managed to claim second place. "An incredible performance," Ganna said afterward. But the INEOS Grenadiers rider also expressed disappointment with the outcome.

In 2023, Ganna had already finished second in Milan-San Remo, that time from the chasing group’s sprint, behind Van der Poel. Two years later, the Dutchman from Alpecin-Deceuninck finally got the long-anticipated showdown with Pogacar, starting as early as the Cipressa. The Slovenian used the penultimate climb and the Poggio to try and drop his rivals, but it didn’t work. Van der Poel never gave an inch, and although Ganna struggled, he refused to let go and came back twice.

At 1.93 meters tall and weighing over 80 kilos, 'Pipo' had already made waves by finishing second overall at Tirreno-Adriatico, proving he was coming into La Primavera in top form. But surviving an all-out effort from the foot of the Cipressa? That was something else entirely. "I’m really happy because I put in a performance here against Mathieu and Tadej, the best riders in the world. But I’m also disappointed, because second place is still the first loser, right?" he said afterward, speaking to IDLProCycling.com and others.

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Ganna in the leader's jersey of the Tirreno-Adriatico, last week

Ganna had hope after the Cipressa, less so after the Poggio

And still: Ganna knew very well just how remarkable it was that he ended up sprinting for the podium. "I don’t think we’ve ever ridden up the Cipressa this fast, and yet I was still there. That’s an incredible performance. I had to chase for a long time — at moments like that, a million thoughts go through your head. I was dropped on the Cipressa, but I never believed it was over. On the Poggio, though, it was different. I wasn’t even sure I could finish the race. I was totally done."

With a light gear, and as Van der Poel and Pogacar glanced at each other, Ganna rejoined in the final kilometer. A sprint of the dying swans followed. "I fought all the way to the finish line, gave it absolutely everything," he said, knowing there was nothing left to give on the Via Roma. "Of course you hope to still win in that sprint, but I had nothing left. In the end, it was a great day."

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Ganna before the start of Milan-San Remo

Ganna hopes he won't be forgotten

Ganna will need to come back to win Milan-San Remo — just like Pogacar, who once again fell short. "Milan-San Remo is such a big race, I hope I can take that trophy home one day. Hopefully in the next few years." Because second place doesn’t satisfy him. "The problem is, no one is going to remember this second place — only Mathieu will be remembered. Let’s hope that’s not the case, but in the end, I lost."

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