Mathieu van der Poel returns as the defending champion at this Saturday’s Milan-San Remo, bringing the rainbow stripes to the start line for the first time this season at the much anticipated opening Monument of the year.
It is the second time in the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider’s career that he has used the race to launch his road season, last doing so in 2022 when he finished third in an edition won by Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious). Last year, after riding Strade Bianche and the seven-day Tirreno-Adriatico beforehand, he made the move up to the top step of the podium, using an assault across the Poggio to claim victory ahead of Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).
Just because it was a winning tilt at Milan-San Remo in 2023, however, doesn’t mean the Dutchman is feeling the pressure to open his season with a defence of the title.
“For me it might be a little easier to race on Saturday, because I have already won the race,” Van der Poel told a media conference on Thursday, the comments provided on a live blog by Het Laatste Nieuws. “You can gamble a little more or race a little more patiently, because the pressure is a little less. Maybe that is an advantage.”
Van der Poel has won three of the five Monuments, adding both Milan-San Remo and Paris Roubaix to his tally in 2023 after having claimed Tour of Flanders in both 2020 and 2022. Though doubling up at Milan-San Remo – which Van der Poel said “might be the most difficult Monument to win” – is no small ask.
“I expect a similar course to last year. Pogačar is clearly already in good shape and he realises that he has to make the race hard. I expect a fast climb of the Cipressa before the Poggio. My tactic? Follow,” he added with laughter.
“No, actually, there is not much tactics involved in this race. Normally everything happens on the Poggio. It will be important to be well positioned on the Cipressa, then of course also on the Poggio and that’s where the legs will speak.”
This year there is no Van Aert, but still has Pogačar as a nemesis. The UAE rider has not yet hit the podium in his three tries at Milan-San Remo but is always dangerous, most recently proving the point with a solo victory at Strade Bianche which he secured with an attack at 81km to go.
“When I returned from training and started watching, Pogačar had already left. But I didn’t really miss much,” Van der Poel said of the performance of his rival at…
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