Nat Bromhead
Mathieu van der Poel has continued his stunning streak of wins by finishing first at Milan-Sanremo over Fillipo Ganna and Wout van Aert.
Crossing the line solo after completing the 298km race in just under six and a half hours of racing, van der Poel said it was a very special win and a very special day.
“It’s so difficult to win here,” he said. “I wasn’t hiding at Tirreno-Adriatico, I just wasn’t on my best level. We had a great week of training with all the team, they did a great job for me. It’s amazing, we will celebrate for sure.”
Winning the same race his grandfather Raymond Poulidor won some 62 years ago, van der Poel concluded by saying how happy he was with the result, particularly after the disappointment he faced at the Wollongong World Championships.
“Everyone wants to win this race and since the World Championships, this has been the race I thought about every day,” he concluded.
Perennial rival Wout van Aert, who finished third, said he didn’t blame himself or the team, but the simple fact was Mathieu was so strong.
“He attacked at the right moment and deserved to win,” said the World Champion. “Congratulations to him. We kept the breakaway within reach, and the pace was very high all day. Then on the Cipressa, it didn’t go as fast as expected. We went to the foot of the Poggio with a big group.”
