Van der Poel benefits from Pogacar’s early attack to win Milan-San Remo again

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SAN REMO, Italy (AP) — Even with a new tactic, Tadej Pogacar still couldn’t win the Milan-San Remo.

Pogacar attacked earlier than usual — on the penultimate Cipressa climb — but Mathieu van der Poel followed the Slovenian standout every step of the way and eventually won a three-man sprint Saturday that also included Filippo Ganna.

“He tried everything he could,” Van der Poel said of Pogacar, the reigning world, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia champion. “He (made) the decisive move on Cipressa. I think everyone knows how impressive this is. He was maybe the strongest uphill but I felt I had control on the wheel.”

It was Van der Poel’s second Milan-San Remo victory after the Dutch rider also took the season’s first “Monument” race two years ago. Van der Poel’s maternal grandfather, French cyclist Raymond Poulidor, also won the Milan-San Remo in 1961. He died in 2019.

Having tried unsuccessfully previously to swing into action on the Poggio climb shortly before the finish, Pogacar this time made his first attack midway up the Cipressa with 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) to go in the 289-kilometer (180-mile) race, which started in Pavia this year.

Van der Poel and Ganna were the only riders capable of sticking with Pogacar and the three studied each other on the finishing straight before Van der Poel made the first move — which proved decisive.

Ganna finished second and Pogacar settled for third.

“I felt pretty strong,” Van der Poel said. “I felt that I still had a good sprint in the legs and I knew that the other two wanted to make it a long sprint, because I’m known for the shorter sprints. So I think I surprised them a bit by launching my sprint at the 300-meter sign. But I felt strong enough to hold it.”

Added Pogacar: “They were just too fast for me and there was nothing I could do.”

Michael Matthews won the sprint for fourth, crossing 43 seconds behind.

“It was an edition to remember,” Van der Poel said. “I don’t remember when the decisive move was on the Cipressa but it was surely a long time ago. It was special with just the three of us at the finish.”

Pogacar and Van der Poel shattered the Cipressa climbing record of 9 minutes, 16 seconds, set in 1996 when Gabriele Colombo launched his attack there and went on to a solo victory.

It was the seventh Monument win for Van der Poel, who has also won the Tour of Flanders three times and Paris-Roubaix twice.

The other Monuments are Leige-Bastogne-Liege and Giro di Lombardia — races that Pogacar has won multiple times.

Wiebes outsprints Vos to win women’s race

European champion Lorena Wiebes beat standout Marianne Vos in a sprint finish to win the women’s race, which returned after 20 years.

Swiss rider Noemi Ruegg crossed third.

Wiebes was helped by a leadout from teammate Lotte Kopecky, the world champion.

The women’s race followed a 156-kilometer (97-mile) route from Genoa to San Remo.

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AP cycling: https://apnews.com/hub/cycling