Mathieu van der Poel wins a science fiction-like Milan-San Remo

Incredible Milan-San Remo 2025 in what may be the most spectacular edition of the race in the 21st century so far. A spectacle that could well have been filmed by Christopher Nolan but no, it was real: attacks from the Cipressa, the best in front, tension until the last meter, and a Mathieu van der Poel who once again left Tadej Pogacar with a bitter taste in his mouth, as the Slovenian tried all the tricks in the book but once again couldn't shake off the thorn of the hardest race to win.

Pogacar, Ganna, and Van der Poel give us a historic Milan-San Remo

It is difficult to find adjectives to describe a cycling race when the best cyclists of the moment come together to put on a show that no one believed was possible in modern cycling. But we are lucky to live in the era of Tadej Pogacar, who is the disruptive element of this sport, and the best part is that he has met the best Mathieu van der Poel, the only one who can spoil the Slovenian's party.

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A Milan-San Remo that started in Pavia under infernal weather conditions, with intense rain and cold that accompanied the peloton in the early hours of the race while a breakaway of 8 riders, with no relevant names, made their way with the approval of the group.

Fortunately, as they reached the coast, the weather changed completely, and the race lived up to its nickname of La Primavera with perfect conditions for the finale. Meanwhile, kilometers were passing by without any UAE Team Emirates riders appearing near the front. It wasn't until the arrival of the leaders when the teams with contenders for victory began to take positions, gradually accelerating the race on the slow-cooking journey towards the first climax of this Milan-San Remo 2025.

They entered the Cipressa with a completely frantic pace, and a huge Tim Wellens took the lead of the group, pushing the pace to the limit, even though Tadej Pogacar didn't manage to start the climb well positioned and had to make up ground from around 20th place with the invaluable help of Jhonatan Narváez who, once at the front, took over from a Tim Wellens who was already running out of steam.

Narváez's entry meant that the pace doubled to the point of shattering the peloton as it hadn't been seen in this race for over a quarter of a century. And the Ecuadorian continued to accelerate in preparation for what was coming, even though none of us thought that was possible in today's cycling.

POGACAR ENCIENDE LA TRACA EN LA CIPRESSA

El campeón del mundo arranca en el puerto previo al Poggio. Van der Poel y Ganna aguantan a su rueda.#MilanoSanremo pic.twitter.com/MZQeGUr5C3

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) March 22, 2025

But yes, it was real, there was Tadej Pogacar launching a furious attack with Filippo Ganna, Mathieu van der Poel, and Romain Gregoire on his wheel. An attack like the ones the Slovenian usually launches, sustained, growing, which dropped the Frenchman and made Ganna suffer to the point where Van der Poel had to overtake him to close the gap. Not content with that, Pogacar would try again a kilometer and a half from the top, with identical results. However, the 32 seconds at the summit and an Isaac del Toro who dried up any attempts in the peloton consolidated the breakaway.

In the dangerous descent of the Cipressa, the three of them worked together perfectly, and at the bottom, the advantage had already increased to 50 seconds, confirming that the impossible had happened. The victory was going to come from an attack on the Cipressa. However, although Pogacar was clearly the strongest cyclist, on the link towards the Poggio, propelled by a favorable wind that wanted to join the show, the three of them worked together perfectly, without speculating at any moment. Pure spectacle.

As they took the turn towards the Poggio, a determined Pogacar to take no prisoners launched an attack in the first meter, cutting off Filippo Ganna, who, however, did not give up and kept the effort at full throttle without losing sight of his rivals. Meanwhile, attack after attack, Tadej Pogacar tried to break the resistance of a Mathieu van der Poel who had to endure the unimaginable, even in one of those attacks it seemed like he was losing a few meters and only the arrival of one of the tight corners of the Poggio, where cyclists have to brake despite it being an ascent, saved the situation for the Dutchman.

And just when everyone expected Tadej Pogacar's final attack on the 8% ramp that leads to the village of Poggio, a plot twist that Hitchcock himself could have imagined arrived, a furious attack by Mathieu van der Poel that clearly dropped Tadej Pogacar, who this time did not let the story of two years ago repeat itself. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider suffered to the limit to close an impossible gap and keep his chances of winning this Milan-San Remo 2025 alive.

They started the descent together, with Filippo Ganna, who had not said his last word, keeping the Dutch and Slovenian in sight. A spine-chilling descent, as always, but more controlled due to the hard effort they had made on the climb. They arrived on the flat, and although Van der Poel and Pogacar worked together perfectly on the flat section, Ganna used her time trial skills to catch up under the banner of the last kilometer.

A sprint between the three where the tension was palpable, a tension that was cut with a knife until, under the 300 m to go sign, too far for a usual sprint, Mathieu van der Poel was the first to launch, from the front, with full confidence. A distant attack that surprised Ganna and Pogacar, who, despite holding on to Van der Poel's wheel, were unable to overtake him, so Mathieu van der Poel managed to not only win his second Milan-San Remo but also increase his monument victories to 7 triumphs, undoubtedly a legendary classics rider in a victory he likes, on the big day, against the best.

Milan-San Remo 2025 Classification

1. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 6h22'53''
2. Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers) +00
3. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +00
4. Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) +43''
5. Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck) +43''
6. Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) +43''
7. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) +43''
8. Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) +43''
9. Matteo Trentin (Tudor) +43''
10. Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) +43''

Lorena Wiebes wins a thrilling women's San Remo to the last meter

Spectacular return of the women's San Remo to the calendar after 20 years without being held. A race that, just like in the men's race, was a slow-cooking process until the ascent to the Cipressa, where the wheat began to separate from the chaff due to the strong pace that left a reduced group of around thirty cyclists that would be further reduced during the descent.

They regrouped on the approach to the Poggio, which Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig started with a strong pace for a presumed attack by Kasia Niewiadoma, with Mavi García hovering around the front despite not being ideal terrain for her. However, they couldn't make a selection, and it wasn't until almost the final kilometer of the climb that the Frenchwoman Juliette Labous launched the first attack, which didn't break the group but served as a launchpad for Kasia's offensive, who, despite the intensity of her acceleration, also failed to achieve the goal.

15 cyclists crowned the front group at the top, and Demi Vollering took the lead of the descent, descending without excessive effort. Therefore, halfway down, Puck Pieterse took over trying to tense the situation, showing off her great technical skills, but it had no effect.

Just as they returned to the coastal road, in the first streets of San Remo just after the descent, Elisa Longo Borghini launched a powerful attack that surprised the group, who looked at each other waiting for someone else to close the gap. It seemed like the race was sealed for the Italian, who, however, did not count on a world champion like Lotte Kopecky putting in the work and sacrificing all her chances to close the gap and put her teammate Lorena Wiebes in a position to fight for the victory.

The Dutchwoman caught Elisa just 200 m from the finish, an ideal distance for a sprint that promised to be thrilling with the presence of two Visma-Lease a Bike riders: Pauline Ferrand-Prévot right on Kopecky's wheel and Marianne Vos, who was already licking her lips in a situation where she usually doesn't forgive.

 

 

 

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And then the unthinkable happened in a team of the level of Visma-Lease a Bike. It was Pauline who launched the sprint first, and at the same time, on the opposite side of the road, Marianne Vos did the same. Lorena Wiebes, very attentive, chose Vos's wheel and, in a tremendous effort, overtook her and achieved a victory that made good the sacrifice of Lotte Kopecky, to the dismay of the Visma-Lease a Bike riders. Taking the third spot on the podium was the EF Education-Oatly rider, Noemi Rüegg, who managed to overtake Pauline on the line.

San Remo Women 2025 Classification

1. Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) 3h43'32''
2. Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) +00
3. Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) +00
4. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) +00
5. Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez) +00
6. Kimberley Le Court Pienaar (AG Insurance-Soudal) +00
7. Chloé Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Zondacrypto) +00
8. Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) +00
9. Juliette Labous (FDJ-Suez) +00
10. Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) +00