He can't come to terms with it. Tom Pidcock looks around trying to find an explanation, he'd like to be far from here, from Via Roma, from Sanremo. "I'm disappointed, very disappointed – explains the Pinarello Q36.5 rider, 26 years old - Because it was a fiercely contested race and when you have these opportunities that come once in your lifetime... You know, it's not that simple. This is a race where every year you have to seize the opportunities and this time it was one of those, and I lost it. Maybe when I have a broader perspective I'll be able to be truly proud of today".

Pidcock against Pogacar, a two-man sprint: the two-time Olympic mountain bike champion is incredibly fast, he had beaten Van Aert at the Amstel in 2024 and on Wednesday he won decisively at Milan-Turin. "Yes, of course, Pogacar crashed, came back, attacked and won: obviously he's the greatest, if not one of the greatest of all time in this sport, but what he did today, fighting like that after the crash, the mentality he has, it's all incredible. But the photo finish, a moment... Yes, I know, that's why I can't help but be disappointed, you know, those few centimeters I was missing".

Was attacking Pogacar on the descent from the Poggio an option?

"Eh no, Tadej knows the descent so well that we were going really fast, in one corner we both went in a bit too fast and yes, I wouldn't have been able to pass him even on the descent".