Van der Poel beats Pogacar in thrilling finale: "An honor to stand on the podium with them"
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel has won Milan-Sanremo for the second time in his career. The Dutchman from Alpecin-Deceuninck beat Tadej Pogacar and Filippo Ganna in a beautiful finale on Saturday. "This is our third consecutive win here as a team—it's unique," Van der Poel said in the flash interview.
On the Cipressa, Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez of UAE Team Emirates set a furious pace up the climb, causing the peloton to explode. It turned out to be the lead-up to Pogacar's attack. The Slovenian's move was so strong that only Van der Poel and Ganna could follow. "I knew Pogacar would be the strongest on the climbs," said Van der Poel. "What he did on the Cipressa was impressive. Once the three of us were together, we worked well together. After all, we were all in podium positions."
Read more below the video.
Van der Poel: “It’s an honor to stand on the podium with them”
After the Cipressa came the Poggio, where Pogacar unleashed another barrage of attacks. “My finish with Tadej was basically on the Poggio,” Van der Poel laughs. “Of course, he wanted to drop me. I wanted to counter, but he was strong enough to come back.” The final decision came down to a sprint with three riders. “I knew Ganna and Pogacar wanted to make it a long sprint,” Van der Poel recalls. “They probably thought I’d want to keep it as short as possible. So I surprised them by launching my sprint with 300 meters to go. I felt strong enough to hold it to the line—it was the right tactic.”
That’s how Van der Poel claimed his second victory at the Italian Monument. Naturally, the Dutchman deeply cherishes the win, all the more because of the memorable finale and the legendary riders he shared the podium with. “Winning Milan-San Remo on its own is already special, but to beat these two incredible riders... It’s an honor to stand on the podium with them. I’m super happy,” concludes a delighted Van der Poel.
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Latest Comments
- I am not sure if it is the hardest to win. In Flanders and Roubaix well before the finish the Peleton will be decimated and the race will normally be won by the best rider of the day or maybe 2nd or 3rd in case of a mechanical or unlucky break especially in case of Roubaix. In San Remo just before the finish there will still be several riders in contention and they are hard to ditch. For the best riders it is a race hard to win since it is not so selective. But if you are not a top 5 rider but still a top 10 rider this race is your best change to win. You will see more Milan San remo Winners with only 1 monument win than any other monumentsJoostmehrtens19-03-2025
- "fap fap fap oh Lance oh oh OHHHHHHH" again. Does he pay you to dredge up people with nice things to say about him? He was an giant a$$hole to people. It is a fact. Whatever his contrition about the doping, he is unapologetic about being a giant a$$hole to people. (Why yes, I do only login to complain. *I* am however only a giant a$$hole to people who laud giant a$$holes.)ericjensenridesbikes25-02-2025
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025 - If she thinks talent alone will put her there she will not see many podium finishes much less a GC finish.....work as a team utilizing tactics to consistently be at the top.Germanrazor10-01-2025
- This was very informative! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreiraluizantonioduarteferreira02-01-2025
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024