Pogacar's teams forced to make last-minute changes for Milan-San Remo

Top favorites Tadej Pogacar and Filippo Ganna now know their final teammates for Milan-San Remo, though both UAE Emirates-XRG and INEOS Grenadiers had to make last-minute changes. Despite this, both squads are expected to be key players in Saturday’s race.

Pogacar will be without Brandon McNulty, who fell ill before the final stage of Paris-Nice. Instead, the Slovenian will rely on powerhouse teammates Vegard Stake Laengen, Nils Politt, and Domen Novak, along with McNulty’s replacement, Isaac Del Toro, and his trusted domestiques Jhonatan Narváez and Tim Wellens. The latter two will be crucial in positioning Pogacar at the decisive points of the race: the Cipressa and the Poggio, where the battle for victory is expected to unfold.

For Pogacar, this will be his first race since crashing in Strade Bianche. "The Monday after my crash, I got back on my bike right away, but I took it easy for a few days. Of course, I was a bit stiff and sore, but right now, I feel fine," he said.

"We’re entering a great period of racing, and I feel ready for Milan-San Remo," added the Slovenian, who has been chasing victory in La Primavera for years. "I know the course well by now, and I hope we can make the race explode on Saturday. Can we win? It won’t be easy, but we’re going to try."

"As we’ve seen in the past, there are multiple ways this race can play out," Pogacar continued. "We have a plan, and we want to put ourselves in the best possible position. Milan-San Remo is a race I desperately want to win," concluded the reigning world champion from Zürich.

Read more below the photo!

INEOS Grenadiers also changes Milan-San Remo lineup

Filippo Ganna has his sights set on winning Milan-San Remo, after coming close multiple times in recent years. Following a strong performance in Tirreno-Adriatico, the Italian favorite is clearly aiming for victory. On Monday after the stage race, he did a final recon of the finish with teammate and former winner Michal Kwiatkowski, but in the end, Kwiatkowski had to withdraw at the last moment.

"This isn’t how I planned it, but a knee injury is forcing me to take a break," the Polish rider announced on social media. "An inflammation near my kneecap was discovered, and I need to focus on my recovery. That means I won’t be racing Milan-San Remo. It was a tough decision, but my health comes first, and I will come back stronger."

Geraint Thomas will replace Kwiatkowski in the INEOS Grenadiers squad, which also includes Tobias Foss, Ben Swift, Connor Swift, Ben Turner, and fast finisher Axel Laurance, who joined the team from Alpecin-Deceuninck.

Read more below the tweet!

Selection UAE Emirates-XRG Milan-Sanremo 2025

Tadej Pogacar
Jhonatan Narváez
Tim Wellens
Nils Politt
Vegard Stake Laengen
Domen Novak
Isaac Del Toro

Selection INEOS Grenadiers Milan-Sanremo 2025

Filippo Ganna
Axel Laurance
Ben Swift
Connor Swift
Geraint Thomas
Tobias Foss
Ben Turner

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