Van der Poel left frustrated after crash dents Milan-Sanremo title defence
Mathieu van der Poel cut a frustrated figure at the finish on the Via Roma after seeing his Milan-Sanremo title slip away in one of the race’s most dramatic editions. The pre-race favourite was unable to follow Tadej Pogacar and Tom Pidcock on the Poggio and ultimately had to settle for eighth place.
The Dutchman was caught up in the crash that disrupted the race ahead of the Cipressa, when the pace surged through Imperia and several favourites hit the ground, including Tadej Pogačar and Wout van Aert.
Although Van der Poel was able to remount quickly and rejoin before the climb began, the incident left its mark and forced him to chase back on at a crucial moment in the race.
“A bike came into me and I went down,” van der Poel explained afterwards to NOS. “My team did a really good job to bring me back, but I could already feel on the Cipressa that I wasn’t at my best. My finger hurts, but it should be okay.”
Despite that setback, he managed to follow Tadej Pogačar and Tom Pidcock when the decisive move went on the Cipressa, forming the elite trio that quickly distanced the peloton. However, the effort of chasing back after the crash appeared to take its toll.
“I was where I needed to be, but I didn’t feel great,” he said. “At one point I told the team on the radio that I could barely hold the handlebars properly. I still wanted to try.”
On the Poggio, Pogačar's relentless accelerations proved decisive. Van der Poel was the first to crack under the pressure, unable to respond when the world champion lifted the pace again on the climb.
“He was incredibly strong,” van der Poel admitted. “On the Poggio I had to ride my own tempo quite early. After that I tried to limit the damage, but in front they kept going full gas.”
Up ahead, Pogačar and Pidcock pressed on to contest the sprint for victory, while van der Poel was eventually brought back on the descent and finished outside the podium places on the eight place.
“I’m pretty disappointed,” said the two time winner of La Primavera. “After a race like this, and being in that position, you always hope for more. But with the crash and how I felt afterwards, it just wasn’t enough today".
Van der Poel is expected to return to action at E3 Harelbeke on Friday as he builds towards another rendezvous with Pogačar at the Tour of Flanders on April 5.
Result: Milan-Sanremo
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