San Remo: Tadej Pogacar’s Near-Perfect Cipressa Move
- Anticipation hung in the air as UAE Team Emirates accelerated, setting the stage for Tadej Pogacar's attack on the Cipressa climb.
- In recent years, Pogacar has struggled to break away on the Poggio, the race's final climb.
- Approximately 10 kilometers from the Cipressa's base, riders navigated the Capi Mele, Cervo, and Berta.
Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish
Table of Contents
- Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish
- Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish
- Table of Contents
- Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish: A Q&A Guide
- What were the key moments of Tadej Pogačar’s strategy at Milan-San Remo?
- How did UAE Team Emirates shape the race?
- Which riders were key in assisting pogačar during the race?
- What challenges did Pogačar face on the climbs?
- How did Mathieu van der Poel influence the race outcome?
- What was the significance of the Cipressa climb?
- What was the outcome of Pogačar’s attacks on the Poggio and was this a good strategy?
- Summary of Tactical Sequences
Anticipation hung in the air as UAE Team Emirates accelerated, setting the stage for Tadej Pogacar’s attack on the Cipressa climb. The move, spearheaded by Tim Wellens and fueled by Jhonatan Narvaez’s powerful effort, initially stunned onlookers. The high-speed surge nearly proved decisive.
In recent years, Pogacar has struggled to break away on the Poggio, the race’s final climb. This time, he launched an attack on the penultimate ascent, gaining a slight advantage.The question remains: what prevented this small lead from becoming a notable one? Was it the absence of a key teammate, perhaps one who had previously won Milan-Turin? Did the climb lack sufficient gradient? Or could Mathieu van der Poel’s continued presence on the road, after years of cyclo-cross, be the deciding factor? The answers remain elusive, leaving observers to dissect the strategic gambit that shaped this unique edition of Milan-San Remo.
Approximately 10 kilometers from the Cipressa’s base, riders navigated the Capi Mele, Cervo, and Berta. Pogacar was positioned behind teammates nils Politt and Tim Wellens, with Jhonatan Narvaez close behind. Noticeably absent was Isaac del Toro, a promising young talent, who occasionally moved forward but failed to maintain his position. Unbeknownst to observers at the time, UAE’s final strategy was already taking shape.
The jostling for position intensified. Mads Pedersen battled for space with Pogacar. On the opposite side, Mathieu van der Poel’s Alpecin-Deceuninck team held a strong position, followed by Filippo Ganna’s Ineos-Grenadiers and a contingent from EF education-Easy Post.
The Cipressa ascent brought a surprise.Martin Marcellusi, the last remaining rider from an earlier breakaway, led into the climb but was quickly caught by the peloton, led by EF and Ineos riders. Initially, no UAE riders were visible at the front. Then, unexpectedly, Tim Wellens emerged, defying expectations that he would be deployed later in the race.
Wellens set a blistering pace, exceeding 32 km/h on a gradient between 4% and 6%. this instantly impacted the race, causing Van der Poel and ganna’s teammates to fall back. Van der poel and Ganna found themselves isolated,while riders like Mads Pedersen and Tom Pidcock were nowhere to be seen. Pogacar,meanwhile,was spotted in 25th position after one kilometer on the Cipressa. He appeared calm, watching as Narvaez moved ahead to assist him.
After a kilometer of intense effort, Wellens yielded his position at a hairpin turn, with 3.8 kilometers of climbing remaining. Pogacar moved up to sixth place, just behind Narvaez. Shortly after,the duo capitalized on the disarray following Wellens’s effort to seize control of the race.
Narvaez,winner of the Down Under Tour and a former Giro stage winner,launched a powerful attack,his face contorted with effort. He maintained this pace for approximately 90 seconds,covering about one kilometer before relinquishing his lead,similar to Wellens.
Before the halfway point of the Cipressa climb, with 3.1 kilometers remaining of the 5.6-kilometer ascent, Pogacar took the lead. For a brief moment, it seemed he might drop a trio consisting of Ganna, van der Poel, and Romain Grégoire. However, grégoire eventually faded, finishing in 30th place.
Ultimately, Pogacar couldn’t create a significant gap.The trio quickly rejoined him. Van der Poel countered Pogacar’s multiple accelerations on the Poggio and ultimately won the sprint. the world No. 1 may attempt a similar strategy next year.
Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish
Table of Contents
What were the key moments of Tadej Pogačar’s strategy at Milan-San Remo?
How did UAE Team Emirates shape the race?
Which riders were key in assisting Pogačar during the race?
What challenges did Pogačar face on the climbs?
How did Mathieu van der Poel influence the race outcome?
What was the significance of the Cipressa climb?
What was the outcome of Pogačar’s attacks on the Poggio and was this a good strategy?
Tactical Moves Define Thrilling Milan-San Remo Finish: A Q&A Guide
What were the key moments of Tadej Pogačar’s strategy at Milan-San Remo?
Tadej Pogačar’s strategy at Milan-San Remo in 2025 focused on attacking on the Cipressa climb and attempting to create crucial gaps to secure a victory. His team, UAE Team Emirates, executed a multi-faceted approach leading into the Cipressa, aiming to tire out the competition with a series of aggressive moves.
Early Attack: The team accelerated, setting the stage for the attacks.
Penultimate Ascent Focus: Pogačar launched an attack on the Cipressa but couldn’t create a notable lead. Ultimately he would be caught by the trio of rivals.
How did UAE Team Emirates shape the race?
UAE team Emirates played a pivotal role in shaping the race dynamics, notably on the Cipressa. Their strategy involved:
Teamwork on Cipressa: Tim Wellens set a blistering pace, creating disarray among competitors and exhausting some of the best riders.
Strategic Positioning: Riders like Politt and Narvaez were strategically positioned to support Pogačar.
Creating Disarray: The team’s moves caused key riders to fall back.
Which riders were key in assisting pogačar during the race?
Several riders played crucial roles in supporting Pogačar:
Tim Wellens: Set a rapid pace on the Cipressa.
Jhonatan Narvaez: Launched a powerful attack.
Nils Politt: Positioned to assist Pogačar.
What challenges did Pogačar face on the climbs?
Pogačar faced several strategic challenges on the climbs:
The Cipressa: Despite the team’s efforts, Pogačar wasn’t able to build a significant gap.
The Poggio: Pogačar struggled to break away, and Van der Poel ultimately countered Pogačar’s attacks on the final climb.
How did Mathieu van der Poel influence the race outcome?
mathieu van der poel’s presence and tactical decisions were critical to the race:
Counter-Attacks: Van der Poel countered Pogačar’s accelerations.
Sprint Victory: Van der Poel ultimately won the sprint against Pogačar.
What was the significance of the Cipressa climb?
The Cipressa climb was the stage for the most aggressive moves in this edition of milan-san Remo, impacting the race in decisive ways:
Strategic attacks: Pogačar attacked on the penultimate climb.
Team Effort: The team’s efforts resulted in significant strategic changes.
What was the outcome of Pogačar’s attacks on the Poggio and was this a good strategy?
the attacks on the Poggio did not help Pogačar win the race:
Failed Breakaway: Pogačar couldn’t create a lead.
* Sprint Finish: Van der Poel ultimately won,despite Pogačar’s best efforts.
Summary of Tactical Sequences
| Rider/Team | Climb | Action/Result |
| ——————- | ———— | ————————————————————- |
| Tim Wellens | Cipressa | Set a blistering pace, caused rivals to fall back |
| Jhonatan Narvaez | Cipressa | launched a powerful attack, covered about one kilometer |
| Tadej Pogačar | Cipressa | Took the lead briefly; was unable to create significant gap.|
| Mathieu van der Poel | Poggio | Countered Pogačar’s attacks and ultimately won the sprint |