Milano-Sanremo 2025, Van Der Poel's joy: "An emotion I will remember for a long time"

Sanremo, 22 March 2025 – In 2023 he had won with a good margin ahead of Filippo Gana e Wout van aert, today absent with luxury (and debate): in 2025 he repeats himself by beating, this time in a sprint, the Piedmontese again and Tadej pogacarThe protagonist is always Mathieu van der Poel, who together with the runner of the Ineos Grenadiers manages to keep up with the world champion first on the Cipressa (climbed in record time) and then on the Poggio, before winning on Via Roma, taking the Milan-Sanremo 2025.

Van Der Poel's statements

For the standard bearer of theAlpecin-Deceuninck, who became captain of the day after the shipwreck of the battered reigning winner on the way Jasper Phillipsen, a double satisfaction. "I'm happy with this victory. It was an incredible edition: the three of us together until the end, truly an emotion that I will remember for a long time". In fact, beyond the opinions and the cheering, cycling won today thanks to three riders with such different characteristics, for a group led by an indomitable pogacar, who tried to ride hard from the first uphill pedal strokes, as also noted by a stubborn Van der Poel. "Today I always felt good and on the flat stretch the other two probably expected a sprint in the final. Instead I anticipated the attack and perhaps I surprised them because usually my strength is in the short sprint". All this with all due respect to the world champion, still dry in a race that was enchanted for him. "pogacar he tried his strategy on Cipressa, trying several times to make the decisive attack: I stayed close behind and winning a race like that is truly extraordinary".

Ganna and Pogacar's statements

From the winner to the losers, assuming that on a day like this we can really talk about losers: it starts from Ganna, who repeats the second place obtained in 2023 right behind the Dutchman. "I gave it my all, fighting against two phenomena. I know that there have been champions who have needed even fourteen years to win the Milan-Sanremo: I got on the podium today and I'm satisfied". Not without regrets, and one in particular. "Maybe I was wrong to let go Van Der Poel's shot and in fact at that point I never took it up again". Much more stiff in front of microphones and notebooks is pogacar, who once again fails to make the difference on climbs that are perhaps too short and not very tough to get rid of his most feared and fastest rivals in the sprint. "A day that started with wind and rain turned into a beautiful afternoon, even if in the sprint I could do very little against faster riders than me like Mathieu and Pippo. I would still like to thank my team for the work done". This intervention also ends with a regret, destined to remain so for obvious reasons. "It's a shame that the Poggio let it no longer be long and steep."