Mohoric was already on to Van der Poel and Philipsen: "Knew that Mathieu would close that gap"

Matej Mohoric, as a former winner of Milan-San Remo, was one of the men to watch in the 2024 edition, but the Slovenian of Bahrain Victorious ultimately had to settle for sixth place. He shared his story with Eurosport, open as always.

Mohoric tried to repeat his previous feat on the descent of the Poggio but couldn't break away sufficiently this time around. "Unfortunately, I could only launch my attack at the end of the descent, as I had to catch up from the front first. It was difficult to choose the right moment, but I think it was the only way I could win this race."

Mathieu van der Poel eventually caught up with him, working hard for the benefit of Jasper Philipsen. "I knew Philipsen was still in the group, which was unfortunate for us. At the top of the Poggio, I was right there with him, so I already knew that Mathieu would close the gap as soon as he realized that Philipsen was still there. And that is exactly what happened," he explained.

Mohoric already knew on Friday that breaking away on the Poggio would be difficult

Despite this, Mohoric looks back on the race feeling satisfied. "For one second, I believed in the victory, and that's ultimately what it's all about. You have to play the cards you're dealt, and this was my only chance, so I'm glad I tried. It wasn't meant to be, but two years ago, it did work out."

The Slovenian was not surprised by Philipsen's victory. "I was actually not surprised that some sprinters managed to get over the Poggio with us, because we were going as fast as we could. Due to the high speed, the difference between sitting in someone's wheel and having the lead is small. I did the Poggio while training with Pogacar, but even then I knew that no rider could just break away and sustain that for five minutes. That is why the sprinters were also able to keep up."

For Mohoric himself, the Belgian classics are next. "I am in good shape and looking forward to the upcoming races, especially Flanders and Roubaix. I think I stand a chance in those races and I'm already excited about them."