What a finale to Milan-San Remo. It’s a race that’s always about the finale, as we know, but in this year’s races, both men’s and women’s, they were something special. In many ways, the unfortunate crash for Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel and others just before the Cipressa, and the way they immediately bounced back from that and attacked on the climb, only added to how special this year’s edition of the men’s race was.
After the crash, you’d say to most normal riders, ‘Take a moment to recover for a little while here,’ but Pogačar was immediately flying up the outside of everybody and back to the front. To go from hitting the deck to what occurred next in such a short space of time, you have to give it to him; he just keeps on putting in these mind-boggling performances.
Okay, Pogačar was fortunate that neither he nor his bike were too badly damaged by the crash, unlike both Van der Poel and Wout van Aert, because it allowed him to get back to the front of the pack sooner. However, his UAE Team Emirates-XRG teammates, Brandon McNulty and Isaac del Toro, with the odds already stacked against them due to Jan Christen’s earlier crash, did a great job returning him to the front and ramping up the speed.
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You could say after the crash that he had nothing to lose, but in reality, being able to actually put a plan like that – attacking on the Cipressa – into action is completely different. Considering he had absolutely no time to recover, you’d forgive UAE for falling back to an attack on the Poggio. But instead, they decide to make the race explode right there and then. It’s mind-blowing racing from Pogačar. But that’s the kind of rider he is. Tactics? He doesn’t need any tactics.
When the three of them, Pogačar, Van der Poel, and Tom Pidcock, got away, you could quickly see that the Dutchman was feeling the effects of his crash. Pidcock started to share the load, which makes sense when there’s a podium spot essentially in the bag. But as soon as the Briton did, Pogačar attacked over the top, so he didn’t ride after that, and I can understand that approach because if you’re starting to feel it in the legs, and Pogačar’s trying to hit you with those efforts, you say, ‘I’m not riding anymore.’
‘Pogačar descended like a demon’
On the Poggio, Pogačar continued with that killer mentality in the way he rode that climb, and it did indeed kill off Van der Poel’s hopes of a third win. Pidcock really had to dig deep because there was no sign of Pogačar starting to tire or feel the effects of his crash. By the time they reached the top, he would have gained confidence, and that’s where you start believing that victory is possible. What was most surprising on the descent, though, and surely for Pidcock too, was the way Pogačar, despite his crash, went down the Poggio like a demon, almost making it too difficult for the Pinarello-Q36.5 man to follow him.
By the time they reached the Via Roma, Pidcock looked to be really digging deep when riding on the front – of course, that could well have been a bluff. But ultimately, in the sprint, there’s nothing more he could’ve done against Pogačar. There must have been wind coming from the left, as Pogačar positioned himself well on the right side of the road and just mastered the sprint magnificently. He didn’t hesitate, even when Pidcock tried to start the sprint early; he just closed the door fractionally on the right, forcing Pidcock to knock off his effort and come around the outside.
Would there have been a different outcome had Pidcock played a different tactic in the sprint? We’ll never know, but what’s certain is how impressive their power was in the closing stages of a 300km race – Pogačar just had that extra amount to stay ahead.
It shouldn’t diminish Pidcock’s ride, though; it was a super day for him. He was able to stick with the Slovenian, who shaved another 10 seconds of his Cipressa time; the Briton put in a monster ride, but unfortunately, he came up against a bigger monster. Nonetheless, he shouldn’t have any regrets. He’ll take great confidence into the Ardennes and potentially this race again next year.
I know Pogačar hinted that he won’t be at Milan-San Remo next year, but I think he’s said those comments in the heat of the moment, after a hectic finale. If he means what he said, though, it will certainly change how the men’s race plays out. I don’t see another team controlling the race, in the finale, as UAE do, so it may be a more open race, for the likes of Van Aert – who put in a great performance to claim the final podium spot despite a bike change – Filippo Ganna, and others already mentioned to tackle.
A tactical masterclass helped Kopecky win with ease
In the women’s race, Lotte Kopecky looked really strong on the Poggio, and SD Worx-Protime benefited from having two cards to play. Lorena Wiebes might have won last year, but as I said in the build-up, you might get over the Poggio in the lead group one year, but the next it’s a different story, depending on how the race is ridden.
They just went full gas on the Poggio, so for the sprinters, the real true sprinters, it was a difficult task.
Kopecky followed and did what she had to do. She’s able to get over challenging climbs. If we think back to the Tour de France Femmes in recent years, she showed amazing climbing form for someone who is really fast in a sprint as well. She showed that once again on Saturday, manoeuvring the race situation, and played her tactics well.
The sprint on the Via Roma suits her perfectly, and then when you offer her a leadout as if you’re one of her own teammates, as UAE Team ADQ’s Dominika Włodarczyk did, then she’s bound to win with ease, as Kopecky did.
Of course, the race was also impacted by a nasty crash coming off the Cipressa. It’s always a dangerous portion of the route, after so many kilometres in the legs and with tension reaching its peak; in the women’s race, they were really pushing the pace to the limit here. Yet it’s not the first time this descent has caught the peloton out over the years; it’s a real danger. Nonetheless, going onto the Poggio and for the final stages of the race, it changed the dynamic in the women’s bunch.