Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) claimed his second Milan-San Remo victory after a dramatic sprint to the finish, edging out Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) in a race marked by intense battles on the Cipressa and Poggio climbs.
The race took a pivotal turn when Pogačar launched a fierce attack on the Cipressa, shattering the peloton. However, his effort wasn’t enough to distance van der Poel and Ganna, who stuck with him despite the tough pace. Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) initially joined the break but was soon dropped, leaving the trio to battle it out.
As the riders approached the Poggio climb, Pogačar’s repeated accelerations couldn’t shake van der Poel, who remained glued to his wheel. Ganna, having been dropped on both the Cipressa and Poggio, bridged the gap to the leaders just 500 meters from the finish line, setting the stage for a final showdown.
With the finish line in sight, van der Poel seized the moment, surging ahead with 350 meters to go. His powerful sprint created a gap that Ganna couldn’t close, while Pogačar, too far behind, finished third.
The Race Unfolds: Key Moments
The race began with a breakaway group of eight riders, including Alessandro Verre (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Martin Marcellusi (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), and Tommaso Nencini (Team Solution Tech-Vini Fantini). As the breakaway’s lead grew to nearly six minutes, the peloton gradually closed the gap as the race approached the Capo Mele, the first of three crucial climbs. By the Capo Berta, the breakaway’s advantage had shrunk to just over a minute.
As the peloton neared the Cipressa, UAE’s Tim Wellens set the pace, with teammate Jhonatan Narváez launching Pogačar into his decisive attack. Ganna and van der Poel responded, while Grégoire was unable to keep up.
The leading trio reached the Poggio with a 45-second advantage, and Pogačar’s repeated attempts to drop van der Poel and Ganna failed. As they neared the summit, van der Poel attacked 500 meters before the top, taking a 12-second lead on Ganna and Pogačar.
Despite Ganna’s relentless time-trialling effort to close the gap, van der Poel maintained his lead, clinching the win with a masterful sprint.
- Milan-San Remo 2025 Results (289 km):
- Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck – 6:22:53
- Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers – Same time
- Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates-XRG – Same time
- Michael Matthews (Aus) Jayco-AlUla – +43 seconds
- Kaden Groves (Aus) Alpecin-Deceuninck – Same time
- Magnus Cort (Den) Uno-X Mobility – Same time
- Mads Pedersen (Den) Lidl-Trek – Same time
- Olav Kooij (Ned) Visma | Lease a Bike
- Matteo Trentin (Ita) Tudor Pro Cycling Team
- Fred Wright (GB) Bahrain Victorious
In a race that will be remembered for its fierce tactics and thrilling finish, van der Poel proved once again that his speed and strategy make him one of the sport’s greatest.
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