Published March 21, 2026 07:14PM
Tadej Pogačar, Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were four of the top animators of Milan-San Remo on Saturday. This is what they had to stay afterwards.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) race winner:
“About the crash, it is unfortunate. There’s never a good place to crash. I think also Jan Christen crashed quite early in the race. Maybe he has a broken collarbone, I don’t know, we will see what they say when I get back to the bus. But it is never good to crash, especially in Imperia! From Capo Berta, it’s really fast. It’s a war going to Cipressa and everybody knows it. Everyone needs to be at the front.
“There were too many riders in too narrow a road. And also maybe it was a moment of not being 100 percent to brake, to respond. I found myself in a sandwich or something. I crashed and took a lot of people with me. I hope everybody is alright. You never want to see a crash, but it’s part of cycling. I hope everybody is okay.”
On his reaction to the crash:
“I immediately got up.. I mean, immediately…it was quite a long slide. Longer than the water slides that I ever did! Then I tried to pick up my bike but then I saw there was one rider from Alpecin was a little bit on top of my bike. I asked him first if he was alright. He thought I just wanted to take the bike underneath him. He was ‘no, no, I cannot move, I am stuck.’ I was like, ‘no stress, maybe if I take my bike you are free.’
“It was really something not nice to see and to be involved in it. Your mind goes through a lot of things. One of the first thoughts was ‘it is all over…I just go in the car or go straight on the coast road, on the bike paths to San Remo.’ Then the second thought was also about Bling [Michael Matthews] a little bit because he could not be here today, because he crashed training for this race, his favorite race. Then I got up and I continued. I immediately saw Florian [Vermeersch] and Felix [Grossschartner] waiting for me. They did such an amazing job to bring me back to the bottom of the Cipressa, to the peloton. They gave me hope, motivation.”
On how he responded to being back in the bunch:
“I was full of adrenaline and Brandon [McNulty] was there waiting for me at the bottom. He moved me through the bunch [in a] really amazing [way]. Then we finished it off with Isaac [Del Toro]. In the end the team also gave me so much hope on the radio. They were really amazing, supportive. I could not give up. In the end I didn’t spend too much energy to come back. Also there was no more chaos. Before Cipressa it was just one moment we were alone and we were chasing and I don’t spend any energy to come back because of the team. In the end I don’t spent too much to come back and it played out really well.”
On his tactics once clear with Pidcock and Mathieu van der Poel:
“When we were Van der Poel, Tom and me at the top of Cipressa, I was, ‘okay, I can get another podium and be disappointed. Or I can try on Poggio again and make them tired and maybe win the sprint.’ It was 50-50.”
On dropping Van der Poel on the Poggio
“I was surprised… I knew that we needed to go all out anyway, but this year the wind was really good for the Poggio. I knew I had good chances to go all out and maybe drop both. But Tom was really in super shape and glued on my wheel. [There was] no chance of dropping him today ever. And Mathieu, I think maybe he was missing this half percent of today. It is what it is.
“I could drop Matthew on the Poggio but not Pidcock, and then I saw he is in really good shape. He has such a fast sprint, so I really didn’t know if I can beat him. But at least I know that I would upgrade my result from previous years if I come second.”
On how he rates the result
“I think it is definitely one of the biggest wins in my career. But we will see. I need to sleep on it a little bit. I don’t know much what happened in the final, I was all out and in the end to sprint against Tom [Pidcock] head to head was also crazy. I was doubtful until the line. Even after the line I didn’t know if I won.
“I still need a bit of moment to realize that we won San Remo.”
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling), second:
“If you asked me to sign for the second place this morning, maybe I would have signed, but I was four centimeters short. It’s very painful that it was so close. I need to look at the positives in aa different prospective. I think I did a great ride. Tadej crashed, I looked at him and he was still there fighting every way to try and win this race. I have massive respect for that!
On the final climb
“The Poggio, it was getting closer for Tadej to drop me. But the way he was riding, where he would attack for 30 seconds and then go easy and then go again actually suited me quite well. I mean, it allowed me to recover a bit. I think it was just about getting in the wheels, staying there, same like when you go motor pacing.”
About finishing second to Pogačar
“I mean, as annoying as it is, him being so good is impressive but I’m a bit disappointed right now. I tried to make him go earlier, but he knows what he’s doing.
“Honestly, I need to time to reflect because right now I am pretty disappointed. It hurts to be so close. If it was Tadej alone and I was alone, I’d be very happy, but I was told it is four centimeters and it hurts quite a lot it was so close. Obviously I lost to Tadej. He is one of the best cyclists ever. So I can’t be disappointed, but I can’t help it.”
Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), third
“I had this attack at the bottom of the Poggio in my mind if there was a moment of hesitation. Today it was for third place unfortunately, not for the win. But I’ve reached the maximum possible after crashing and having to change my bike before the Cipressa. I’m happy with the podium finish.
“In San Remo, you have to believe until the last moment that something can happen in the front. As a team, we really fought back to come in a position to race for the hope of winning. We did the maximum we could. Obviously, Tadej and Tom had a bit of room to play with their advantage. They had enough to be first and second. They deserve it.”
About returning to strong form following his ankle fracture in early January:
“I felt good coming here. The legs were also really good in the race. Unfortunately I had to use a lot of energy to come back to the front, but I leave this race with positive feelings.”
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech), eighth:
(Speaking to HLN.be): “I am quite disappointed. A bike from Lidl-Trek flew towards me [in the crash]. I couldn’t avoid it anymore. The team brought me back very well, but on the Cipressa I already felt that I wasn’t great anymore.
“On the Poggio, I rode my own pace, like Ganna did last year. Unfortunately, Tadej and Tom did not look at each other.”
About an injury to his hand:
“I feel like that is blood from my nail. My middle finger hurts, but I think it’s not too bad.”