Milano-Sanremo 2025: the story of a crazy race. Van der Poel wins over Ganna and Pogacar. Cycling triumphs

Sanremo, March 22, 2025 - The Milan-Sanremo 2025 it lights up on the Cipressa (climbed in record time), where as expected theUAE Team Emirates-XRG he immediately makes a very hard run for Tadej pogacarwhich it carries with it Mathieu van der Poel e Filippo Gana: this will not be an insignificant detail. In fact, between shots and counter shots, the three challenge each other on knoll and downhill, with the world champion trying the impossible to detach the Dutchman, who today instead had a day of grace: the Italian suffers on the climb, but recovers when the two favourites control each other. The epilogue is a three-way sprint that rewards Van der Poel, which repeats the success of the 2023: Ganna is still second just like two years ago, while for pogacar, third as in 2024, Very classic is confirmed as a taboo despite months of study, training and preparation. The previous women's race saw the success of Lorraine Wiebes, which he beats in the sprint Marianne Vos e Noemi Ruegg: the best Italian at the finish line is Elisa Balsam, eighth, but the biggest regrets belong to the other Elisa, Longo Borghini, who tries to push forward on the descent after the hill before being caught 150 metres from the end also thanks to the great push from the rear by Lotte Kopeky, today serving her teammate. "Next time they won't catch me", this is the laconic and almost iconic comment of the Piedmontese.

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The first escape attempt, which also turns out to be the good one, sees the protagonists Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Tommaso Nencini (Solution Tech Vini Fantini) and Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), in turn chased and then reached by Mathis LeBerre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Baptiste Veistrovfer (Lotto Pro Cycling Team), Mark stewart (Solution Tech Vini Fantini) and Philip Turconi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè): Kristian Sbaragli (Solution Tech Vini Fantini) remains in a bain-marie for a long time before joining the leaders. The first altimetric difficulty of the day is the Turchino Pass (2,4 km with an average slope of 5,3%), after which the weather changes: the rain goes away and a more spring-like weather comes in, while what does not change is the presence in front of the group, pulling, of a tireless Sylvan Dillier (Alpecin-Deceuninck). The geography of the platoon changes as soon as one approaches the first Head, Chief Mele (2 km with an average slope of 3,6% and maximum of 7%): the first victim among the fugitives is the artist's nephew Nencini. After the downhill brow they fall Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Laurence Pithie (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) e Chris Hamilton (Team Picnic PostNL), while Jasper Phillipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has to deal with a puncture. We go back up on the Chief Deer (2,1 km with an average slope of 2,3% and maximum of 6%) It is on Chief Berta (2 km with an average slope of 6,3% and maximum of 9%), on which the escape dismembers under the impulse of the push of Marcellusi. The next altimetric difficulty is the one that is potentially decisive in the economy of the entire race, especially for theUAE Team Emirates-XRG, who has been working for months to climb in less than 9' in the face of the record of 9'19 " and of the time of 9'35 " last year: it is about the Cypress-Costa Rainera (5,6 km with an average slope of 4,1% and maximum of 9%), before which it falls Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Decathlon AG2R The World Team). Tim Wellens (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) starts to make a hard pace: the first victim is the reigning champion Philipsen. Then pull Jonathan Narvaez (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), launching 3 km from the summit Tadej pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG): Filippo Gana (Ineos Grenadiers), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) e Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ) initially hold the wheels, with the latter then losing contact. pogacar he tries again 1,5 km from the top of the hill: Ganna still suffers, while Van der Poel holds. The trio regroups and works together to gain on the group of the best, now distanced by more than 1'. On the horizon stands the knoll (3,7 km with an average slope of 3,7% and maximum of8%), and immediately pogacar he snaps, taking with him Van der Poel: for Ganna always a lot of effort at the beginning before trying to get back into his stride. The Slovenian starts again and the same scenario repeats itself, with the difference that this time the Dutchman also appears to be in more difficulty. pogacar he shoots again but the void behind him does not form, indeed, surprisingly it is Van der Poel to attack 400 meters from the summit. The skirmishes between the two play into the hands of Ganna, which comes closer on the descent before completing the chase on the plain. A Via Roma there are still three competing for the victory in the sprint: he wins Van der Poel before Ganna e pogacar. The group sprint, they arrive at 43", away, rewards Michael Matthews (Team Jayco AlUla) on Caden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck): The two Australians thus receive a consolation prize.

Arrival order Milan-Sanremo 2025

1) Mathieu Van Der Poel (ADC) in 6h22'53" 2) Filippo Ganna (IGD) st 3) Tadej Pogacar (UAD) st 4) Michael Matthews (JAY) +43" 5) Kaden Groves (ADC) +43" 6) Magnus Cort Nielsen (UXM) +43" 7) Mads Pedersen (LTK) +43" 8) Olav Kooij (TVL) +43" 9) Matteo Trentin (TUD) +43" 10) Fred Wright (TBV) +43"