New Cipressa record: Pogacar looks ready to unleash at San Remo
It was one of the standout moments of last year’s cycling season: the showdown between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, with Filippo Ganna also in the mix, at Milan-San Remo. In the end, the Dutchman held firm and took the win, but Pogacar looks determined to turn the screw even further this year. He has already spent plenty of time training on the local roads, and a new record on the Cipressa indicated that the bar will be raised again.
It is not the first time this winter that the 27-year-old Slovenian has grabbed the spotlight with headline worthy efforts on climbs. In December, he tore apart the record on the famous Coll de Rates, a regular testing ground for pros, another hint that he could once again be the man to beat in 2026. UAE Team Emirates-XRG manager Joxean Matxín has echoed that confidence, saying the team expects an even better Pogačar this season.
Pogačar opens his season this Saturday as the clear top favourite for what would be a fourth Strade Bianche title. In the build-up, he spent time training on key sections of the Milan-San Remo route, one of the two Monuments, alongside Paris-Roubaix, that sit at the very top of his wish list as he chases the complete Monument set.
During a training ride on Tuesday, Strava records showed he improved his personal best on the Cipressa by six seconds. In their thrilling duel in 2025, Van der Poel and Pogačar climbed the Cipressa in 8 minutes 57 seconds. This time, Pogačar is said to have gone up in 8 minutes 51 seconds, which works out at an average speed of 37.8 kilometres per hour on a 5.6 kilometre climb at 4.2 percent
There is, however, an important caveat. How much of that time came with pacing support? Footage from recent months has shown the Slovenian occasionally training behind a motorbike or with teammates when he goes all-in.
That was also a factor in the 2025 race though, when he set his previous benchmark. In recent years, UAE have repeatedly targeted the Cipressa as the launchpad to turn Milan-San Remo into a truly hard race. Last season, Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez drove the pace in the opening kilometres of the climb to tee up Pogačar’s move. Both are currently sidelined: Wellens broke his collarbone during Opening Weekend, while Narváez crashed at the Tour Down Under and reportedly suffered several stable thoracic vertebra compression fractures.
From that perspective, it will be interesting to see how Pogačar and UAE adapt their approach. One possible solution is handing a key role to the explosive Isaac del Toro to ignite the Cipressa and force the race into a selection. Last year, the young Mexican struggled to position himself effectively, something he will need to improve if he is to become a genuine trigger point in UAE’s San Remo plan.
One thing, at least, seems settled: Pogačar is going to be in shape.
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