Milano - Sanremo 2025, one day monument, March 22

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I think mvdp was playing a bit of cat and mouse, to be honest. He lured Pog into attacking 2-3 extra times on the Pog(gio).

Definitely his best tactical win. Legend vs legend made this a race for the ages.
He was as well maybe stupid when he attacked at the end of the Poggio...but maybe no, he was so comfortable as Pogacar was working for him after his attacks than he could attack at the Poggio, to fail, and he has sure the sprint as well. He was not interesting in Pippo, just with Pogacar he was going to win for sure...with 3 he has to follow 2 man attacks and you never knows...For Poggi was the opossite, he rode ro be second and finally was 3 again. A champion ride ro win, and in his case means speculate and to follow wheels sometimes, no to try to act asvthe boss of cycling in every moment of the race...
He is not 20 years old..he has some experiences😳
 
Some pics

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Mar 23, 2025
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Kudos to Pog, he tried everything and was incredibly strong, but MVDP was on a super day.

MVDP said in interviews afterwards that he was really pressured on Cipressa, but feelt confident he could follow Pogacar on Poggio. He also said that he already during the winter training thought about doing a long spring in MSR, thereby surprising his rivals who presume he wants a short sprint.

That is one of the great things with MVDP, he is nearly always tactically flawless in big races.

Props to Ganna, what a fighter.
 
He was the stronger climbing but in those climbs you cannot go with a man as VDP at you wheel.
It's the only way he can win. Either he drops him or he doesn't. Some people said he was 'dragging him up the Poggio', which I think is bull.
He just tried to attack with everything he had. And it either works or it doesn't. Those climbs just aren't steep enough against a MvdP with good legs.
Had he ridden more conservatively, the group would have made it back and he would never even make the podium.
Maybe people should just accept this course doesn't suit Pog when an in shape Mathieu is there. Nothing to be done about it.
 
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When we see how much positioning counted coming into Cipressa, if Pogačar can get to a position closer to Van der Poel, or even, by some miracle, Van der Poel is the one out of position, Pogačar has a good chance of dropping MvdP on the Cipressa. Of course this is unlikely, but it‘s definitely possible.
 
Great final hour. Chapeau to 3 great champions who all fully deserved their plaudits.

Fantastic to see 40 years of received cycling wisdom ripped up so comprehensively to the point where the tactics book can be looked on anew.

The future of the race will benefit from this move staying clear so far as we should now expect by moves on the Cipressa most years with some sticking and some coming back bodies or on the Poggio.

This is the dream race for MVDP. I obviously wanted Pogacar to win but nobody can deny the class of MVDP. 7-7 in monument wins now with no sign of either slowing down. Very big chance that both get to 10 monuments with RVV 2025 looming large as having a huge say in who will hit double digits first.
 
Great final hour. Chapeau to 3 great champions who all fully deserved their plaudits.

Fantastic to see 40 years of received cycling wisdom ripped up so comprehensively to the point where the tactics book can be looked on anew.

The future of the race will benefit from this move staying clear so far as we should now expect by moves on the Cipressa most years with some sticking and some coming back bodies or on the Poggio.

This is the dream race for MVDP. I obviously wanted Pogacar to win but nobody can deny the class of MVDP. 7-7 in monument wins now with no sign of either slowing down. Very big chance that both get to 10 monuments with RVV 2025 looming large as having a huge say in who will hit double digits first.
It is Tadej who made the race in Cipressa. Don't see a race without him able to have these fireworks in Cipressa.
 
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When we see how much positioning counted coming into Cipressa, if Pogačar can get to a position closer to Van der Poel, or even, by some miracle, Van der Poel is the one out of position, Pogačar has a good chance of dropping MvdP on the Cipressa. Of course this is unlikely, but it‘s definitely possible.
The difference is that Alpecin can use everyone to lead Mathieu to the front. UAE also needs some riders to pace the Cipressa. Ans some sort of luck that gaps open up or you doesn't get boxed in. Or behind the crash like Pidcock.
 
If I had to guess on the order entering Cipressa (the blue jerseys are hard to tell apart):

  1. Marcellusi
  2. Honoré
  3. Laurence
  4. Ganna
  5. Philipsen
  6. Albanese
  7. Hermans
  8. -Astana (Ballerini?)
  9. Gregoire
  10. -Ag2r
  11. Van der Poel
  12. Mihkels
  13. -Visma (Kooij?)
  14. Trentin (EDIT: It was in fact him who pulled off in front of Pluimers and made a gap which Gregoire jumped across with Van Gils on his wheel, the latter had to let go again after the corner)
  15. Wellens
  16. Sweeny
  17. Pluimers
  18. Campenaerts
  19. -Israel
  20. -Astana
  21. -Jayco (Bling?)
  22. -Astana
  23. -Israel
  24. -Jayco
  25. -Visma (Tulett?)
  26. Pedersen
  27. -Cofidis, crash
  28. -Israel
  29. APP, crash
  30. Kirsch
  31. Pidcock
  32. -RedBull
  33. -Israel
  34. -Bahrain
  35. Powless
  36. -Tudor (Alaphilippe?)
  37. -Intermarche
  38. -RedBull
  39. -Q36.5
  40. -Visma
  41. -Lotto
  42. Pogi
  43. -Ag2r
  44. -Visma
  45. -RedBull
  46. Aranburu
  47. -(B)DSM
  48. -Ag2r
  49. -Vini Fantini
  50. -Lidl-Trek
  51. Narváez
  52. -Bahrain
  53. -Bahrain
  54. -QS
  55. -Uno-X
  56. -Intermarche
  57. -(B)DSM
  58. -Alpecin
  59. -Bahrain
  60. -UAE
  61. -Visma
  62. -Lidl-Trek
  63. -Ag2r
  64. -Lotto
  65. -Intermarche
  66. -RedBull
  67. -FdJ
  68. -Uno-X
  69. -Arkea
  70. -Lidl-Trek
  71. Geniets
 
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And then compare that to how Ganna rode TA.
I think Pedersen was just one of the many riders who made a mistake and slept when Pogi made the first attack on Cipressa. Also the bad weather at the beginning certainly also affected many riders.

Nah - The difference is Ganna rode a controlled race and there was only one mountain stage. Once Pedersen won his stage he needed to take it easy.
 
Mar 23, 2025
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So how the hell will other teams, beside UAE and Alpecin, approach MSR next year given that Pog has rewritten the rules? Every other team will know that Pog will do Cipressa in 9 minutes and that only one or maybe two other riders can match that. This new reality must be a headscratch for many teams.
 

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