Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel won
the season-opening spring classic Milan-Sanremo monument race
and one-day classic Saturday.
The 30-year-old outsprinted Italy's time trial king Filippo
Ganna and Slovenian great and pre-race favourite Tadej Pogacar,
who was looking to add the Sanremo to his three Tours de France,
one Giro d'Italia and numerous monuments.
Pogacar, 26, and van der Poel had dropped Ganna in the lead up
to the final kilometres but the 28-year-old record six-time
pursuit champ got back in touch just in time for the final
three-man sprint.
Pogacar last year became only the third rider, after Eddy Merckx
in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987, to achieve the Triple Crown
of Cycling, winning the Giro, the Tour, and the World
Championships in the same year.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
