Milan San Remo, March 21, 2026, 298 km monument

[MariaB]

UAE should nuke the Capo Berta. Go for it!

 

[Oldman]

Just read Eddy's comments that Pogacar is best not attacking until the Poggio. But how tired the legs are after 300km includes how much effort is expended on Cipressa.

But sounds like Del Toro will be used as bait to shake off Pogacar's rivals?

Just hope no crashes.

Overwhelming favorite still has to be MVDP.

Not hot with possible light rain at the finish. That could effect where riders choose to move. I'd expect the very bold and crazy to go a little early and try to close out on the final descent.

 

[yaco]

I still think they are misreading it with their team selection sending Morgado to Nokere Koerse and Denain instead, his profile would've been excellent for this race.

Do you think they want to give Morgado a chance to win a race.

 

[search]

if the rider in front of you drops , its very hard to close the gap when they go all out

but Gregoire didn't have to do that, and still exploded on their wheels

 

[Eddy Evenepoel]

Maybe they will fail again like always in the monuments, but Visma probably has the strongest team here. If they are not unlucky and if they don't mess up the tactics (big if), they could realistically win the race.

Even if Pogacar somehow manages to go solo on Cipressa, they (van Aert + Jorgenson + Brennan?) might also be able to reel him back in together with Ganna and MvdP on the flat in a small chase group.
Or alternatively, depending on the race situation, form a reduced peloton. But then they would have to immediately decide on a single leader after Cipressa and get all their other riders to pull all out.

Brennan is the only Visma-rider that can win on saturday, and WVA and Jorgenson should ride 100% for him. That should mean that one of them tried to go with the attack on Cipressa and not pull a single meter in the group, while the other is working in an organized chase behind.

But of course WVA will be leader and between Cipressa and Poggio he’s gonna act like he’s the man to beat and pull with the two aliens.

 

[canina82]

Brennan is the only Visma-rider that can win on saturday, and WVA and Jorgenson should ride 100% for him. That should mean that one of them tried to go with the attack on Cipressa and not pull a single meter in the group, while the other is working in an organized chase behind.

But of course WVA will be leader and between Cipressa and Poggio he’s gonna act like he’s the man to beat and pull with the two aliens.

Looking to his positioning nowadays, WVA will be nowhere before Cipressa starts.

 

[Berniece]

Brennan is the only Visma-rider that can win on saturday, and WVA and Jorgenson should ride 100% for him. That should mean that one of them tried to go with the attack on Cipressa and not pull a single meter in the group, while the other is working in an organized chase behind.

But of course WVA will be leader and between Cipressa and Poggio he’s gonna act like he’s the man to beat and pull with the two aliens.

If Wout wants to have a chance he should join the attack and then do nothing. He's too proud for that, but if he actually wants to win. Do nothing, hold the wheel, try to attack after Poggio descend with the idea that Pogi/MVDP look at each other.

 

[Pantani_lives]

After all the hype and speculation, this will be the outcome:

1. Magnier
2. Brennan
3. Philipsen

 

[Peyresourde]

After all the hype and speculation, this will be the outcome:

1. Magnier
2. Brennan
3. Philipsen

If UAE and Pogacar just don't do anything this year, it might be a 60 rider bunch sprint. I really think the course is a bit too easy. Right now, Pogacar covers that up and everyone thinks it is a great race.

Without Pogacar, this race will end in a big bunch sprint every year in the future (speeds and thus draft are too high now and most sprinters are quite fit) and they will have to make the race harder.


Maybe that is a possible winning tactic for Pogacar: Don't do anything for two years --> race ends in big bunch sprint --> organization adds Le Manie to make race harder --> win the race there in 3 years

 

[QueenStagiaire]

If UAE and Pogacar just don't do anything this year, it might be a 60 rider bunch sprint. I really think the parcours is a bit too easy. Right now, Pogacar covers that and everyone thinks it is a great race.

Without Pogacar, this race will end in a big bunch sprint every year in the future (speeds and thus draft are too high now and most sprinters are quite fit) and they will have to make the race harder.


Maybe that is a possible winning tactic for Pogacar: Don't do anything for two years --> race ends in big bunch sprint --> organization adds Le Manie to make race harder --> win the race there in 3 years

Then how did the race not end in a bunch sprint since Pogačar was still a junior in 2016?

 

[Berniece]

If UAE and Pogacar just don't do anything this year, it might be a 60 rider bunch sprint. I really think the course is a bit too easy. Right now, Pogacar covers that up and everyone thinks it is a great race.

Without Pogacar, this race will end in a big bunch sprint every year in the future (speeds and thus draft are too high now and most sprinters are quite fit) and they will have to make the race harder.


Maybe that is a possible winning tactic for Pogacar: Don't do anything for two years --> race ends in big bunch sprint --> organization adds Le Manie to make race harder --> win the race there in 3 years

The race doesn't need to be made harder. The whole fun of San Remo is that it's not the strongest rider that wins all the time. You can also win it tactically.

 

[Peyresourde]

Then how did the race not end in a bunch sprint since Pogačar was still a junior in 2016?

What I said may be a bit over the top and a late attacker could still win. But they are doing Cipressa and Poggio 3-5 kph faster now than a few years ago to just barely get seperation. If there is not concerted effort by a strong team + strong rider, I really believe that we will have a lot of big group arrivals in the future.

The race doesn't need to be made harder. The whole fun of San Remo is that it's not the strongest rider that wins all the time. You can also win it tactically.

Right now it is not necessary, but in my opinion this race might have a problem in the future. When there are 5 bunch arrivals in a row, opinions might start to change.

 

[Berniece]

Right now it is not necessary, but in my opinion this race might have a problem in the future. When there are 5 bunch arrivals in a row, opinions might start to change.

Whats a bunch arrival? How many riders? Because I can't imagine the likes of Del Toro, Seixas, Widar, and which ever other bigger talent with a punch in the future don't want to make the race explode on Poggio, and then work together. We still have to see if an actual bigger bunch comes back.

 

[danielovichdk2]

Most boring race of the entire season, except that last 20km.

And I really hope Pog and MvdP is not having any. It is becoming a cliché.

I would like to see Stuyven do something, alongside Wout and Kragh Andersen.

Anyone but the two top tier riders, please.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

If UAE and Pogacar just don't do anything this year, it might be a 60 rider bunch sprint

But they are doing Cipressa and Poggio 3-5 kph faster now than a few years ago to just barely get seperation.

Literally none of what you are saying is backed up by real life. 2023 Poggio is the second-fastest ascent of all time, courtesy of Van der Poel and not Pogacar, and that was the most selective ascent of the century. And I don't know what race you were watching last year, because we definitely didn't have one where we 'barely got separation' on Cipressa. Finally, as has been pointed out above, we have not had a bunch sprint in 10 years, well before Pogacar became relevant to this race.

 

[Peyresourde]

Whats a bunch arrival? How many riders? Because I can't imagine the likes of Del Toro, Seixas, Widar, and which ever other bigger talent with a punch in the future don't want to make the race explode on Poggio, and then work together. We still have to see if an actual bigger bunch comes back.

20+ riders at least.

Maybe you are right and Pogacar has caused a paradigm change (GC rider caring about and going all-in for the first 3 monuments), but I am not sure about this yet. At the moment it is still only Pogacar doing it. Even Evenepoel has never ridden the race, who says that Seixas will for certain?

You also have to remember that Pogacar is relatively heavy for a climber (advantage for MSR) and literally has the largest relative gap in w/kg to the next best riders in the history of cycling. And even he can't drop everyone, it will be even harder for other riders in the future.

And you won't just need a strong rider, that rider will also need enough cachet to get his team to go all out for him.


To clarify again: I am talking about the future, in 5-10 years. Right now the race is fine.

 

[SafeBet]

I think UAE are missing a trick not softening it up as much as possible on the Capo’s.

I think that's suicide. You're burning valuable riders that could be of better use in the run in to the Cipressa.

 

[Potomac]

Those wild card teams need to be the ones to animate the race on the Capos.

 

[Netserk]

20+ riders at least.

Maybe you are right and Pogacar has caused a paradigm change (GC rider caring about and going all-in for the first 3 monuments), but I am not sure about this yet. At the moment it is still only Pogacar doing it. Even Evenepoel has never ridden the race, who says that Seixas will for certain?

You also have to remember that Pogacar is relatively heavy for a climber (advantage for MSR) and literally has the largest relative gap in w/kg to the next best riders in the history of cycling. And even he can't drop everyone, it will be even harder for other riders in the future.

And you won't just need a strong rider, that rider will also need enough cachet to get his team to go all out for him.


To clarify again: I am talking about the future, in 5-10 years. Right now the race is fine.

gc riders should only affect cipressa

poggio will likely be blitzed in five and ten years too ( or as long as the current paradigm lasts ) , and so far only ewan has survived the onslaught and that was in the before times

 

[Squire]

Most boring race of the entire season, except that last 20km.

Those final kms are among the most exciting of the season, though. And don't tell me there aren't lots of other races where nothing really happens until the final kilometres except a breakaway being slowly reeled in.

I don't get how people can complain about the route of the one race where you don't know if the guy winning all the other races will win, or if a sprinter will win, or anyone inbetween.

We need some large group sprints once in a while. We are well overdue one. The sprinters need to be able to believe they can also win, otherwise they'll just find something else to do on this particular Saturday in March. A bit like MVDP with Strade Bianche. Then the race loses what's so great about it.

 

[Red Rick]

The moment they add Pompeiana is the moment the pitchfork and torches will come out in my house

 

[Devil's Elbow]

We need some large group sprints once in a while. We are well overdue one. The sprinters need to be able to believe they can also win, otherwise they'll just find something else to do on this particular Saturday in March. A bit like MVDP with Strade Bianche. Then the race loses what's so great about it.

I do think that Philipsen winning in 2024 was beneficial in this regard.

 

[RedheadDane]

Milan out... Trek just has no luck this spring.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

The moment they add Pompeiana is the moment the pitchfork and torches will come out in my house

It's good to have some changes from time to time! No monument route is constant every year.
Yeah, torches and fireworks make sense as celebration of Teddy's victory. Rick as Pogi's closet fan confirmed.

 

[Red Rick]

It's good to have some changes from time to time! No monument route is constant every year.
Yeah, torches and fireworks make sense as celebration of Teddy's victory. Rick as Pogi's closet fan confirmed.

May I once again kindly ask you to stup bullying poor Red Rick