The Netherland’s Mathieu van der Poel won the Milan-San Remo “Monument” cycling race on Saturday for the second time after sprinting past world champion Tadej Pogacar. Lorena Wiebes, also from the Netherlands, won the women’s race.
Mathieu van der Poel won Milan-San Remo on Saturday to claim the cycling season’s opening “Monument” race for the second time, denying Tadej Pogacar in a gripping finale on the Italian Riviera.
Dutchman Van der Poel edged a three-man battle with Slovene superstar Pogacar and local hope Filippo Ganna that came down to the final few hundred metres after 289 kilometres of racing.
Van der Poel snapped a 17-year run of different winners by adding to his success in the seaside town of San Remo two years ago, when he also saw off Pogacar and Ganna — as well as Wout Van Aert — on the Via Roma.
The 30-year-old stayed with Pogacar as the world champion repeatedly tried to go it alone. Van der Poel then launched a long sprint before crossing the line triumphant.
“It’s hard to believe, I was really focused on trying to get the win. We knew Tadej was going to be really strong but I felt really good actually at the end,” said Van der Poel.
“I knew the other two wanted to make it a long sprint because they probably thought I was going to make it as short as possible, so I think I surprised them a bit when on the 300 metre sign I launched my sprint.
“I felt strong enough to keep it until the finish line and it was the right tactic.”
