Masterclass in Racecraft: Milan-Sanremo Breakdown

Milan-San Remo delivered an incredible display of tactical brilliance from three standout riders—Tadej Pogačar (TP), Mathieu van der Poel (MVDP), and Filippo Ganna.

Let’s break down the key moments where their racecraft unfolded:

Key Moment #1: Positioning on the Cipressa

The Mistake:

* TP entered the Cipressa too far back—over 30 riders deep, with his key teammates Del Toro and Narváez even further behind.

* When TP and Narváez finally got to the front, Narváez was cooked and could only do a short pull of 1.5 minutes.  This left TP to attack too early and on one of the easiest sections of the climb with 4.5 minutes still to go. This left him unable to maintain his initial gap of Ganna and MDVP

Key Moment #2: Pogačar’s Powerful Attack Soften for MDVP by Ganna’s Calculated Response

MVDP’s Strategic Patience:

* MVDP took a calculated risk by not immediately following TP’s surge.

* Instead, MDVP followed Ganna who was riding a steady and measured pace, gradually reeled TP back in.  This saved MVDP valuable energy for the decisive moments ahead.

Key Moment #3: MVDP Stays A Mystery Behind Pogačar

Why This Worked:

• By staying just out of TP’s line of sight, MVDP kept Pogačar mentally invested in the idea that his attacks were working.

• Key Moment #4: MVDP’s Devastating Counter on the Poggio

Why It Was Brilliant:

* After shadowing TP’s every move on both climbs, MVDP never showed his true strength.

* While the attack didn’t create a decisive gap, it shook TP’s confidence heading into the final sprint.

Key Moment #5: MVDP’s Early Sprint on Via Roma

The Move:

* Ganna and TP both assumed MDVP wanted a short explosive sprint, and they wanted a longer sprint.  Leading into the final 500 meters they focused more on each other, who both were leaving a gap to get a run at MDVP to make it a surprise long sprint from behind him. 

* MVDP anticipated the hesitation and saw a small gap forming intentionally created by the others. Knowing all he needed was a gap in the tailwind he launched his sprint from 300 meters out—longer than expected.