'The Turchino is a nice climb, no?' - Pogacar teases early Milan-Sanremo attack

Tadej Pogačar and Mathieu van der Poel are the headline acts for Milan-Sanremo, the opening Monument of the season, and it's easy to understand why. The duo have shared 13 of the last 15 Monuments between one another, as well as the past three World Championships. 

Additionally, the pair have been key figures in the shift at Milan-Sanremo from a race that was seen, just a decade ago, largely as a race for the sprinters to shine.

La Primavera has earned the reputation of the easiest Monument to ride, but the hardest to win, and so far, that narrative appears to have fit Tadej Pogačar. 

Already racking up 10 Monument victories at the age of 27, Pogačar has shown time and time again that he can do it all. However, he is still chasing a maiden victory at two Monuments. 

The world champion has only made one appearance at Paris-Roubaix, and he managed runner-up. But Sanremo has been a different story so far for Pogačar, who has made five appearances at the race, finishing in the top five in the past four editions, and in third place in the past two.  

Last year’s attack on the Cipressa from Pogačar saw the race split apart, but he was outdueled on the Via Roma by Van der Poel. Naturally, the debate about how Pogačar can best go about winning the race has heated up significantly.

Speaking at the team presentation on Friday, Pogačar was asked about plans for the race, to which the Slovenian responded, “Maybe… The Turchino is a nice climb, no?" in a playful manner.

The Passo del Turchino comes a significant way from the Via Roma at around 160km from the finish, and although unlikely to be fruitful, if anyone was bold enough to try something that audacious, it would be the World Champion. Though he stressed that it doesn't matter how he wins, but just the fact that he does. 

"What scenario am I hoping for? Just a winning scenario," said Pogačar. "I hope I drop Van der Poel by having better legs and then continuing to fight. I just need to be better. That's all, and have good luck on my side too.”

The importance of the Cipressa has seemingly increased year on year, and Pogačar pulled no punches when it comes to the significance of reaching the climb in a strong position, particularly with the unpredictability of the race. 

"Milan-San Remo is a really unpredictable race. It depends on the wind, on the weather,  it depends on the legs and how the race goes onto the Cipressa and who is going to be there. With this race, you never know,” said Pogačar. 

Meanwhile, Van der Poel has the opportunity to win a third edition of Milan-Sanremo, a feat achieved by 7 riders in history. Equally, a win for the Dutchman would mark the fourth consecutive edition won by the Alpecin-Premier Tech team, following Jasper Philipsen’s success in 2024. 

It’s safe to say that Van der Poel is ready and raring to go. The Dutchman has made a fine start to the season, soloing to victory at Omloop Niewsblad, before powering to two stage victories at Tirreno-Adriatico. 

Van der Poel’s success in 2025 on the Via Roma was most memorable, but the Dutchman remained coy about the prospect of repeating a victory in such spectacular fashion.

"I wish it were that easy," said Van der Poel. "Last year, the conditions were perfect with the tailwind. It's not going to be perfect like that every year.”

Like any other race, Van der Poel knows that the man to beat is Pogačar, and the Dutchman credited his great rival and suggested that ‘it’s just a matter of time before Tadej wins it.”

"I don't think Tadej needs to attack on the Cipressa; he could win it on the Poggio or even in a sprint after a hard race. Everyone knows how good and strong he is as a rider,” said Van der Poel. “Like always, it's just up to us to try to follow him when he attacks and do what we can."

Whether that attack comes on the Turchino, Cipressa, Poggio or somewhere in between, we can expect a captivating battle once more at Milan-Sanremo.