We have several reasons to remember the 2025 edition of Milano-Sanremo. The second victory of Mathieu Van der Poel, of course, but above all, the way it came about. And this is where Mr. Tadej Pogačar enters the story, blowing the race apart on the Cipressa (5.6 km at 4.1%). It is a climb that, as we know, is normally quite manageable, but the repeated accelerations from the Slovenian, combined with the more than 250 kilometres already in the riders’ legs, turned it into something resembling a Dolomite pass.
For years there had been talk of attacking on the Cipressa instead of waiting for the Poggio. But in modern cycling, it was said, escaping there and holding off the peloton without exhausting yourself on the ten kilometres of the Aurelia road, often with a headwind, before the Poggio was simply impossible. As a result, the last time the Cipressa truly launched the decisive move dated all the way back to 1996, when Italy’s Gabriele Colombo went for glory.
To break the pattern it took someone capable of thinking outside the box, a timeless champion like Tadej Pogačar. The Slovenian has been doing that ever since he turned professional, and he did it again last year. The move was planned to perfection with his teammates from UAE Team Emirates XRG, curve after curve, hairpin after hairpin. And when he launched his attack, all the established beliefs about Milano-Sanremo suddenly shattered.
Unfortunately for him, Mathieu Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna managed to follow his wheel. They certainly helped keep the peloton at bay along the Aurelia, but they also refused to let go on the Poggio and eventually beat him in the sprint on Via Roma. Pogačar did not win, but what he did was rewriting the script of the race, leading to a whole different approach to the race.
The world champion is gradually winning all the races he is meant to win, yet the Classicissima, despite numerous attempts, remains unchecked on his list. Now everyone knows he can attack on the Cipressa and make it all the way to Via Roma, and in 2026 the line on his wheel will surely be even longer. The fact that he has not won it yet, however, is good news for fans. Tadej Pogačar is stubborn and will keep coming back until he succeeds. And that means he will continue to put on a show, whatever the cost.
