At just 27 years old, Tadej Pogacarās palmarĆØs already overflows with major victories. But despite being a multiple world champion and Tour de France winner, the Slovenian still has one glaring omission: MilanoāSanremo.
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The Italian Monument ā renowned for iconic climbs like the Cipressa and the Poggio ā has proven a tough code for Pogacar to crack. Its relatively gentle parcours often leaves riders who survive to the finish capable of outsprinting him, which is one reason he hasnāt yet won.
According to former winner Vincenzo Nibali, Pogacar must not only rely on his brute strength but also be willing to ride more tactically to finally unlock this Monument victory. In the last four editions of MilanāSanremo, Pogacar has consistently finished in the top five ā including two third-place results ā but has fallen short of victory.
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In 2025, he tried to make the difference first on the Poggio and then earlier on the Cipressa, launching a blistering attack after a strong team lead-out. However, both Mathieu van der Poel and Filippo Ganna matched his effort, leaving Pogacar to finish just behind them in the final sprint.
Continue reading below the video.
Pogacar training on Poggio effort
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Pogacar isnāt giving up, though. He is hoping that 2026 will be his year at MilanāSanremo, and to that end he spent Saturday riding a full reconnaissance of the finale, testing himself all-out on the iconic Poggio climb to sharpen every detail ahead of the spring classic.
Weāll find out whether this effort pays off on Saturday, 21 March ā where MilanāSanremo will be only the second race of the season for the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader. Strade Bianche on 7 March kicks off his campaign, followed by the cobbled Classics. Beyond Sanremo, Pogacar also has his sights set on Paris-Roubaix, another Monument yet to grace his palmarĆØs.
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.