Pogačar sets new record for Cipressa despite 'Sanremo' crash

Tadej Pogačar may have crashed and only got back on at the base of the Cipressa, but he still set a new record time on the climb, then winning the race from Tim Pidcock (Photo: Masrco Alpozzi)

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) may have crashed with just over 30km to go at Milan-Sanremo, but he got back on his bike, got back to the peloton and went on to win the race.

He attacked hard on the Cipressa, despite only regaining contact with the bunch at the bottom of that climb. Indeed, he broke the Milan-Sanremo record for the climb, which he set during last year's race.

Twelve months ago he went up the climb - 5.58km averaging 4.2 per cent gradient - in a time of 8:57. And recently, as he trained for today's race, he appeared to set a time of 8:51, though he was being motor-paced on some of those rides.

But during today's 298km race - just his second race of the season - early indications are that Pogačar set a time of 8:48 on the Cipressa, setting a new record, aided by his team.

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Once he regained contact with the group, he was helped by team mate Brandon McNulty to get to the front again. And when he made it there another team mate, Isaac de Toro, set a blistering pace, though for a relatively short time.

With 2.5km remaining to the top of the Cipressa, Pogačar lit it up with a big attack that only Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) and Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) could follow.

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He then continued to press all the way to the top, meaning he was engaged in a battle - for position, then to open a gap - for the full length of the climb, ensuring a new record.

Pogačar was left with road rash and ripped shorts and jersey after the crash, but that didn't stop him taking a very aggressive approach to the final climb of the day; the Poggio. There, he dropped Van der Poel.

That left just the world champion and Pidcock at the front and they went to the line, where Pogačar won the two-up sprint from Pidcock.

They were just four seconds ahead of Wout van Aert (Visma Lease a Bike), who came down in the same crash as Pogačar. Van Aert attacked the large chasing group with about 1km to go and just about held on for 3rd place.

 

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