Mathieu van der Poel signs a masterful victory in San Remo. MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
The Dutchman was masterful in the final to get the upper hand over Pogacar and Van Aert.
Prestigious victory for Mathieu van der Poel. Sixty-two years after his grandfather Raymond Poulidor, the rider from the Alpecin-Deceuninck won alone on the Via Roma this Saturday at the end of the afternoon after going on the offensive in the last hectometres of the mythical Poggio. The Dutchman was a few seconds ahead of the surprising Filippo Ganna (Ineos-Grenadiers) and his eternal rival Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)on the attack in the last climb, finished at the foot of the podium.
A classic race start
The start of the race was classic. As usual on the “Primavera“, a breakaway quickly took shape. Nine men went up front: Alexandr Riabushenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team), Mirco Maestri and Samuele Rivi (Eolo-Kometa), Alessandro Tonelli and Samuele Zoccarato (Green Project-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Negasi Haylu Abreha (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Alexandre Balmer and Jan Maas (Team Jayco AlUla) and Aloïs Charrin (Tudor Pro Cycling Team). The peloton didn’t want to give them a lot of scope. And under the impetus of the teams of the main favorites – UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma, Alpecin-Deceuninck and Trek-Segafredo – he gradually returned to make the connection at the foot of the Cipressa. In this climb (at 272e kilometers; 5.6 km at 4.1%), not much happened. But at the foot of the descent, Nils Politt (Bora-Hansgrohe) tried his luck. The German, alone, did not insist and it was a group of 60-70 men who rushed towards the Poggio (at 288e kilometers 3.7 km at 3.7%).
Tadej Pogacar on the offensive, as expected
In the ultimate justice of the peace, Tadej Pogacar’s men took matters into their own hands. Tim Wellens led a breakneck pace…and Matteo Trentin shrewdly made the break to let his leader, his teammate and six other riders take a few lengths ahead. The recent winner of Paris-Nice waited for strong percentages to go on the attack. A sharp offensive but which did not allow him to distance Mathieu van der Poel, Filippo Gana and Wout van Aert. The Dutchman then seized the opportunity to launch a counter that surprised everyone. A real masterstroke. He quickly took a few seconds ahead. And on the descent and on the flat, despite the cooperation of the three pursuers, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider retained his advantage to win the third monument of his career after raising his arms on the Tour of Flanders twice (in 2020 and 2022).
French people inside
Several French people could hope to join in the victory or obtain a good place at the finish. But this Saturday, they were a little inside. Starting with Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), winner of the event in 2019 and cited among the favorites; it must be said that the puncher fell on the descent to the top of Turchino and that he had to do a little pursuit to get back into the peloton. Benoît Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën Team) was up front in the Poggio but he couldn’t take the wheels of the very best. Christophe Laporte, he has become a teammate of Wout van Aert. The first Tricolore is Anthony Turgis (Total Energies) who takes ninth place in the race, a year after finishing in second position.
