Pogačar Wins Thrilling Milan-San Remo After Crash & Epic Battle
Tadej Pogačar of UAE Emirates-XRG won Milan-San Remo on Saturday, outsprinting Tom Pidcock of Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling in a close finish, a victory Pogačar described as “definitely one of the biggest wins in my career.” The race was marked by a significant crash involving multiple riders, including Pogačar himself, in Imperia.
Pogačar described the crash as occurring due to a narrow road and a lack of braking room. “There were too many riders in too narrow a road,” he said. “I found myself in a sandwich or something. I crashed and took a lot of people with me. I hope everybody is alright.” He recounted a moment of uncertainty after the crash, contemplating abandoning the race before being motivated by his team to continue. “One of the first thoughts was ‘This proves all over…I just move in the car,’” Pogačar admitted. “Then the second thought was also about Bling [Michael Matthews] a little bit because he could not be here today.”
The UAE Emirates team played a crucial role in Pogačar’s recovery, bringing him back to the peloton after the incident. Brandon McNulty and Florian Vermeersch were specifically cited by Pogačar for their assistance. “They did such an amazing job to bring me back to the bottom of the Cipressa, to the peloton,” he stated. He also credited his team’s support on the radio as vital to his continued effort.
The decisive move came on the Poggio, where Pogačar attempted to drop his rivals. Although he was unable to distance Tom Pidcock, he successfully gained an advantage over Mathieu van der Poel of Alpecin-Premier Tech. “I was surprised… I knew that we needed to go all out anyway, but this year the wind was really good for the Poggio,” Pogačar explained. Van der Poel, who finished eighth, attributed his struggles to the aftermath of a crash, telling HLN.be a bike from Lidl-Trek collided with him. He also noted a hand injury, describing it as “blood from my nail.”
Pidcock, finishing just centimeters behind Pogačar, expressed disappointment despite acknowledging the strength of his competitor. “It’s very painful that it was so close,” he said. “I tried to make him go earlier, but he knows what he’s doing.” He also noted that Pogačar’s riding style, with bursts of acceleration followed by periods of easing off, suited him well. “The way he was riding…actually suited me quite well. I imply, it allowed me to recover a bit.”
Wout Van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike secured third place, a remarkable result given his recent recovery from an ankle fracture sustained in early January. He acknowledged having to expend significant energy to rejoin the front of the race after a bike change before the Cipressa. “I’ve reached the maximum possible after crashing and having to change my bike before the Cipressa,” Van Aert stated.
The race saw a crash involving Jan Christen, with Pogačar expressing concern about a potential broken collarbone, awaiting further information upon returning to the team bus. The incident highlights the inherent risks of the Milan-San Remo, known for its fast and chaotic approach to the Cipressa.