Mathieu van der Poel wins, solo, the first Monument of the season

The first monument of the season spoke its truth. And crowned, as often happens, a great champion. This is called Mathieu van der Poel. The Dutchman won the 114th edition of the Milano-Sanremo on Saturday 18 March, ahead of Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). The Alpecin-Deceuninck team rider won his third career Monument after the Tour of Flanders in 2020 and 2022.

62 years after Raymond Poulidor’s biggest win in a classic in 1961, Mathieu van der Poel (28) imitated his grandfather to score his first success on the Spring.

“I couldn’t imagine a better scenario, cheered the winner after the finish line. Dalla Cipressa felt I had good legs and I knew I wanted to attack. This is a race that I really wanted to win. The way I won it is beyond my expectations.”

A powerful counterattack

After the peloton logically resumed the morning breakaway of seven riders, Tadej Pogacar (UAE-Team Emirates) launched, as scheduled, the first hostilities six kilometers from the finish, on the Poggio climb (3.6 km at 3. 7%), the justice of the peace of the Italian classic. He took the wheel Filippo Ganna, Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel. The latter countered his teammates with a bullying attack before tackling the twisty and technical descent in the lead.

In the sled that takes him back to Sanremo, the five-time cyclo-cross world champion maintained a few seconds advantage over his pursuers. A comfortable mattress to allow him to savor and raise his arms on via Roma.

15 seconds later, Filippo Ganna passed Wout van Aert and Tadej Pogacar in the day’s underdogs sprint. It is the first time that the Italian has been on the podium of a Monument while the Slovenian, two-time winner of the Tour de France, stumbles once again on the Very classic. He had finished 12th in 2020, fifth last year and this time he stopped at the foot of the garage.

The first Frenchman, Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), is in ninth place, behind Matej Mohoric, like last year, when the Slovenian was crowned ahead of the Habs. Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), winner in 2019, could not influence the outcome of the race, without his crash in the first part of the event being the reason since he immediately closed even at the gates of the top 10 (11th).