Mathieu van der Poel blasts past Tadej Pogacar to sensational Milan-San Remo win

Van der Poel secured his second victory at the first monument of the year in a thrilling edition of the Italian race

Mathieu van der Poel sprinted to victory at the first monument of the year (AFP via Getty Images)

Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) outsprinted Filippo Ganna and Tadej Pogacar to win his second Milan-Sanremo Classic, claiming the first monument race of the season, a 289km ride from Pavia to Sanremo.

Van der Poel, winner in 2023, came out on top in the sprint finish after the leading trio were involved in a game of cat-and-mouse close to the line, with Italian Ganna finishing second and Slovenia's Pogacar having to settle for third.

The race began in rainy conditions, but the sun greeted the riders once they reached the Ligurian coast, with an eight-man group out ahead after an early breakaway.

Once the peleton upped the pace the leaders were reeled in at the bottom of the Cipressa climb, where Pogacar, aiming for his first Milan-Sanremo win, made his move with only Van der Poel and Ganna able to keep pace.

The Slovenian pushed again on Poggia, and while Van der Poel stuck to Pogacar's wheel, Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) looked like he had run out of gas.

Van der Poel bided his time before hitting the front in the home straight to win his seventh Monument race.

It was a bitter defeat for Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) who also came third last year, as last season's "Triple Crown" winner of the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and World Championships failed to make his attacks count.

Tadej Pogacar animated a superb edition of Milan-San Remo (AP)

European champion Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) won the first women's Milan-Sanremo since 2005, with the Dutchwoman outsprinting her compatriot Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) at the end of the 156km ride from Genoa.

Elisa Longo-Borghini launched an attack at the bottom of the Poggio with less than two kilometres left, but the Italian was overtaken close to the line after Wiebes' teammate and world champion Lotte Kopecky had led the chase.

Lorena Wiebes claimed Milan-San Remo victory ahead of veteran Marianne Vos (AP)

"I had to finish the teamwork off," Wiebes said.

"I'm really grateful for how we worked as a team ,and what Lotte did in the final I'm super grateful for.

Switzerland's Noemi Ruegg (EF Education-Oatly) took third place.

Reuters