Van der Poel explains emotions after a few “horrible hours” and discusses Pogacar’s mind games on the Poggio and in the sprint

There was no stopping Mathieu van der Poel at Milan–San Remo—of that much, there was no doubt. The Alpecin-Deceuninck leader never cracked under the immense pressure from Tadej Pogacar and sealed the victory in the sprint. In several post-race media appearances, Van der Poel reflected on what turned out to be a very special edition—one that came alive already on the Cipressa. IDLProCycling.com was there when the emperor of Via Roma told his story.

In the flash interview, Van der Poel already acknowledged how unique this win was. Not only was it his second victory in three years, but Alpecin-Deceuninck also claimed a third straight win (after Jasper Philipsen’s triumph in 2024). “It’s unique,” he said proudly. “It’s hard to believe. I was extremely focused on winning. We knew Tadej would be incredibly strong. I felt really good myself—especially toward the end. But at the start, it was actually terrible, with the rain and the cold. Once we reached the coast, though, I started feeling better and better.”

When Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez turned the screws on the Cipressa for UAE Team Emirates, Van der Poel managed to hang on—though not without difficulty. “I knew Pogacar was the strongest on the climbs. What he did on the Cipressa was impressive. Once the three of us were alone, we worked well together—after all, we were all sitting on a podium spot.”

“My real finish against Tadej was actually on the Poggio,” he continued. “Of course he wanted to drop me. I wanted to counterattack, but he was strong enough to come back.” In the final sprint, Van der Poel still managed to beat both Pogacar and the rejoining Ganna. “They wanted to turn it into a long sprint and probably thought I’d want to keep it as short as possible. So I surprised them by launching at 300 meters from the finish. I felt strong enough to hold it to the line—it was the right tactic.”

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Van der Poel: "It’s an honor to stand on the podium with them"

The podium of Milan–San Remo has rarely looked so impressive: Van der Poel on the top step, Ganna next to him, and world champion Pogacar—just like last year—in third. “Just winning Milan–San Remo 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,” he said on TV. In the press conference, the Dutchman added, “I’m very happy and proud to win. Every Monument is special, but maybe this one is a little extra special, because of the way the race unfolded.”

Alpecin-Deceuninck and Van der Poel continue to cherish their dominance in Milan–San Remo, which they’ve now extended by another year. But there were no wild celebrations—because E3 is already coming up on March 28. “I’m not celebrating in any special way, just having a nice meal with the team. There are still important races coming up, although I do try to enjoy a moment like this a bit more than usual. It’s not going to last forever, so we have to enjoy it.”

And understandably so—Van der Poel admitted that quite a few emotions came over him after the finish. Not necessarily because of the victory itself, but due to a tough Tirreno–Adriatico and a brutal start to Saturday’s race. “The first three or four hours were terrible for me again. At Tirreno, we had rain all week, and today again. When we came out of the Turchino tunnel and I saw the sun, I was so happy. The temperature went up, and along the coast I started feeling better and better.”

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  A picture-perfect podium in Milan–San Remo

Van der Poel pays tribute to “impressive” Pogacar

“The weather was also one of the reasons why we were able to make that move on the Cipressa with just the three of us,” Van der Poel continued. “The first hours are never the hardest, but with conditions like that, it gets into your system. It takes a toll on the body, which actually played into UAE’s plan. But that only three of us reached the top really surprised me. The Cipressa was also the hardest part for me—the pace was incredible right from the base, with Wellens. All the way to the top, it was really, really tough. But once we started descending, I felt my legs were good enough to follow on the Poggio.”

Once again, he managed to shut down Pogacar, who’s still waiting for his first Milan–San Remo victory. “To be honest, I was confident I could get over the Poggio. The Cipressa was tougher, but I knew Tadej would try something there. Dropping someone on the Poggio is really difficult—especially after everything he had already given on the Cipressa. I felt pretty good, but you never really know, of course. I was confident I could hold on.”

Van der Poel even had so much confidence that he tried to go solo just before the top of the Poggio. “I tried to go alone, because in a sprint like this, after such a hard race, you never know. Pogacar is definitely not slow, and neither is Ganna. In a sprint like that, it’s mostly about who’s the strongest, so I tried to crack him a bit with a counterattack after his moves. He was strong enough to respond. What did Tadej say to me at the top of the Poggio? I have no idea. I was completely on the limit—I didn’t understand a word, haha!”

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