Among the riders you wouldn't expect to win, but who could actually win the Milan-Sanremo, there's Maxim Van Gils who, after recovering, wants to try to win this special Monument Classic.

"I think I can be quite good on the Poggio" - Van Gils said - "I moved to Monaco in January and now I know the Poggio by heart". Van Gils is racing this year with Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe and wants to do well, but an aggressive flu stopped him after racing the Ruta del Sol.

"During the Ruta del Sol I had some difficult nights and had a lot of mucus. At first I thought it was an allergy, but then it didn't improve and I got sick. I contracted a strong flu".

Two weeks ago, the Belgian had not yet recovered enough to participate in Strade Bianche, so his comeback will be precisely with Sanremo. He has already raced the Classic three times and last year, at 24 years old and with the Lotto-Dstny jersey, he finished seventh. "I didn't have a good sprint and I positioned myself too far back on the Poggio and Cipressa. To do well on the Poggio, you must be with the first seven riders".

The Cipressa and Poggio hold no more secrets for Van Gils, and he also has a precise plan to tackle the most difficult part of the race. "I live in Monaco and after the flu I had to do mainly light training, so I often pedaled along the coast towards the area around Sanremo. I think I've pedaled on the Poggio at least ten times in recent weeks. Before, I only knew the Poggio from racing at full speed. Now I can pedal calmly, enjoy the beautiful sea view and know every curve perfectly. I also know where the houses are along the roadside that offer shelter from the wind".

Van Gils feels at home on the Côte d'Azur and on Wednesday he went out towards Sanremo with Jasper Stuyven, who won the Classic in 2021 and could offer important information to his compatriot. "I trained with good weather in the last two weeks and then watched my teammates race Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice in the rain".

Regarding the favorites, besides Pogacar, the Belgian is certain that there are riders to keep an eye on, and among these he sees Ganna and Pidcock. "Filippo Ganna and Tom Pidcock made a very strong impression on me, but with those difficult conditions, it remains to be seen how they came out of such a hard race".

The twenty-five-year-old from Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe thinks he can have a good Sanremo, while his condition is not yet optimal for Classics like Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "I've recovered well, but if I were to race Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Saturday, I wouldn't be prepared enough to win after just two and a half weeks of training, but I'm already prepared enough for a race like Milan-Sanremo, which isn't the hardest in terms of climbs. It's mainly about explosiveness in the finale and enduring almost 300 kilometers of racing. I imagine that just like last year, I'll be good enough to stay with the leaders on the Poggio. I can't wait to have a good race, I only fear the rain. I can perform well in the rain, but I don't like racing on Italian roads when they're wet".