Mathieu van der Poel knows his six teammates for Milan-Sanremo, as last year’s fifth-place finisher misses out

Van der Poel has already shown that his form is right where it needs to be, with victory at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and two stage wins at Tirreno-Adriatico. Philipsen, meanwhile, took his first win of the season on Wednesday at Nokere Koerse.

On Saturday, the two leaders will be supported by one other Dutch rider, Tim Marsman, along with Belgians Edward Planckaert and Emiel Verstrynge. Experienced Austrian Michael Gogl is also part of the team, as is breakaway specialist Silvan Dillier.

The notable absentee is Kaden Groves, who had already been forced to pull out of Tirreno-Adriatico because of knee problems. The Australian finished fifth in Milan-Sanremo last year, so his absence is a significant one for Alpecin-Premier Tech.

Van der Poel is widely seen as the top favourite for Milan-Sanremo, where he may have to respond to the expected attack from Tadej Pogacar on the Cipressa. The Slovenian is still chasing his first victory in La Primavera.

Mathieu van der Poel
Tim Marsman
Jasper Philipsen
Edward Planckaert
Emiel Verstrynge
Michael Gogl
Silvan Dillier