For many, Tadej Pogacar is the unbeatable rider who attacks in every race and no one can hold his wheel. Today, however, this was not the case, and the victory went to Mathieu van der Poel, who resisted and then responded to the Slovenian's attacks.

"I wasn't surprised by what Pogacar did, we knew he would attack on the Cipressa and then on the Poggio. To be honest, I was quite confident I could follow him on the Poggio and I think the Cipressa was harder. On the Cipressa, I had to give my all, I felt good, but you're never really sure of the result when you're dealing with a rider like Tadej".

The Milan-Sanremo is an incredibly long race, with almost 300 kilometers to cover. Such a long race, but it's only in the last 100 kilometers that riders decide to make their move.

"For me, the first 3-4 hours were horrible, the weather wasn't nice and I was so happy when we came out of the tunnel and I saw a bit of sun and the temperature rose. I started feeling better along the coast. I think the temperature increase and the absence of rain were the reasons we were able to make that effort on the Cipressa. Of course, the first hours aren't the toughest, but in these conditions, the weather really puts you to the test and it's quite difficult for the body".

Van der Poel has always been famous for his rivalry with Wout Van Aert, but now there could also be a rivalry with Pogacar.
"I think Tadej is everyone's rival. If you manage to beat him, you know you're close to victory. But he's truly an impressive rider. He's not just one of the best Classic riders, but also one of the best grand tour riders. So he's definitely a generational talent and yes, I'm happy to race against him and especially when you manage to beat him, then the victory is really special and you're even more proud".

Van der Poel won the Spring Classic for the second time, and Alpecin-Deceuninck has thus won this race for three consecutive years.
"Yes, I'm very, very happy and proud to win the Sanremo for the second time. Every Monument Classic is special, but I think this victory is perhaps a bit more special for how it developed, and the team was incredible as always at crucial moments. So yes, I think we can be proud of this result, and winning it three times in a row as a team is perhaps something that has never happened and may never happen again".

Winning Milan-Sanremo is always difficult, and there are no guaranteed bets. Today in the finale, there were three extraordinary champions, but victory always goes to just one.

"In races like this, it's not so much about who's the fastest, but who will be the strongest in the finale. A couple of times Tadej gave his all to drop me, and I responded with a counterattack, but he was always strong enough to respond to me. In the end, I won, and it's always exciting to be able to return home with another Monument Classic".

The finale was decided in a sprint after Ganna managed to recover Pogacar and Van der Poel.
"I think I surprised them a bit in the sprint, but to win, surprising the opponent is not enough because you need to have good legs to launch the sprint. But I think I acted at the key point of the race, and that's why I won. It's exciting to win Milan-Sanremo again, both because it's another Monument in my palmares and because of the particular finale, in a race that was extremely tough. I'm in one of the best form moments of my career. I felt good at Tirreno Adriatico, but I was aware that to reach the top, I would need to rest for a few days, and that's what I did. And I did well".