Alpecin-Deceuninck focuses on van der Poel, but Philipsen remains a wildcard: "The pain isn’t unbearable"

Philipsen will be at the start of Milan-Sanremo with the necessary injuries. He crashed hard in Nokere Koerse. "It was a hard crash that I did not see coming, and I needed some time to determine whether I would be ready to race," the Belgian said in a press statement. "My hand was stitched up in the hospital that same day, and all the abrasions were given extra attention. I am far from comfortable, but luckily, the pain is not unbearable. I could already ride reasonably well on Thursday morning without much stiffness. So I want to go for it."

But winning will be difficult. The defending champion knows it would be difficult anyway. "Milan-San Remo is never an easy race to win. Last year, everything lined up perfectly, and I am well aware of that. Perhaps the scenario will be very different this year. But we have several options with Mathieu and now Kaden (Groves, ed.) in the team. I believe we can achieve something great as a team, which is ultimately the most important thing." Philipsen has also made peace with winning Milan-Sanremo once. "Even if I never win another Monument again, this will always be a special race."

Mathieu van der Poel is at the other end of the preparation spectrum. The Dutch rider had a smooth preparation: he won straight away in Le Samyn and put in the necessary kilometers in Tirreno-Adriatico. "Tirreno-Adriatico just gave me that extra edge, I think," said the former world champion. He loves the unpredictable nature of the race. "It is certainly a race that is hard to predict. It is no coincidence that everyone says it is one of the Monuments you can win without being the strongest rider. It all depends on what happens on the Poggio."

But as we have seen often enough, it remains dangerous after the final sprint. Riders like Jasper Stuyven, Matej Mohoric, and Fabian Cancellara could make the difference on the descent or the flat. "The most difficult moment is when the group is still together after the descent,' the 30-year-old expert knows. 'You know the breakaways are coming. That is probably the most dangerous moment of the race."

One of the absolute favorites is Tadej Pogacar. Despite his crash in the Strade Bianche, the world champion hopes to win the first Monument of the year finally. "I think he will have fewer doubts than last year. He will want to attack the Poggio even harder to try and win it," Philipsen thinks out loud. Van der Poel also sees the Slovenian as his biggest competitor. "I know I have to be at 110% to beat Pogacar. That is always great motivation."

Van der Poel has already won so much in his life—six Monuments, a world championship, and 51 road victories—that it takes the pressure off. "I am at an age where I have almost achieved all my goals, or even more than I had hoped. That gives me peace of mind. Everything that comes with it is a bonus, making racing more fun. But I still want to win the biggest races, especially a Monument. I am very motivated."

And so the Dutch rider will go all out for the win, albeit with his team. With Kaden Groves and Philipsen, his team has two other assets. What is the dream scenario for the latter? "For me, the same as last year, please," he laughs. But then he becomes a bit more serious. "I want to be on the Poggio and see what is possible. But if I don't feel great, I will support the team. The most important thing is that we win as a team," he concludes.