Lidl-Trek responds to Van der Poel and Pogacar: Pedersen, Milan and Skujins heading towards the Poggio

As always, the Lidl-Trek selection was presented in a humorous way, this time in the form of a not-so-flattering photo of Pedersen on the phone. Pedersen and Milan will be supported in Milan-San Remo by Alex Kirsch, Ryan Gibbons and Tim Declercq. The in-form Toms Skujins is also part of the team and might surprise once again from under the radar. Jasper Stuyven, the 2021 winner, also deserves a special mention.

For Pedersen, it will be his first one-day race of the year. The Dane made a strong impression in the first months of the year with both stage and overall victories at the Etoile de Bessèges, and an impressive three stage wins and the overall classification in the Tour de la Provence. In Paris-Nice, he was beaten twice in the bunch sprints by Olav Kooij, resulting in two second-place finishes for Pedersen.

Milan, in turn, is also performing excellently, having joined from Bahrain Victorious this past winter. He immediately won a stage in his debut at the Tour of Valencia, which also earned him the points classification. In the Tirreno, he clinched two stage victories, once again securing the points jersey. In Milan-San Remo, Pedersen and Milan will race together for the first time.

Skujins is another rider to watch. The Latvian is experiencing the best year of his career so far. He was among the best at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and surprisingly finished second in the Strade Bianche. After the Tirreno-Adriatico, he will have another shot at great results on the Cipressa and Poggio, although he is expected to work in support of Pedersen's ambition to win a Monument in his career.