The story becomes even more impressive: Pogačar won Milan-Sanremo on a damaged frame

A great deal has been said and written about how Milan-Sanremo unfolded, and we can still conclude that almost nobody could have expected a scenario like this. A crash in which many of the favourites were delayed, or brought down altogether, at one of the most crucial points of the race... it was the perfect set-up for a blockbuster finish. For IDL Procycling readers wanting the broader race recap, Pogačar does the near-impossible with stunning fightback to win first Milan-San Remo is the most logical internal reference point.

In the end, it was Pogačar who took the win, crossing the line with several injuries on his left side. The crash had clearly caused physical damage to the rider and, judging by Pogačar’s own comments afterward, some mental damage as well. But as it turns out, the bike also suffered more than first thought.

Because what emerged afterward? “Only after the finish did we realise that Tadej had ridden the finale on a damaged frame,” his mechanic, Bostjan Kavcnik, said in an interview with Delo. The rear stay had been damaged in the crash. “Luckily, it held together,” the mechanic said.

So Pogačar did not change bikes after the crash. According to the team, there was no immediate reason to do so. “Tadej crashed on his left side, where there is no shifter. Still, the crash mode was activated. He reset it himself and did not notice anything else unusual, so we decided not to make a change,” was the explanation.

In fact, there was another reason not to swap bikes. “It was the first time Tadej chose a single chainring. By removing the front derailleur and the extra chainring, we saved weight and improved aerodynamics.” The wheels were also slightly narrower: 28 millimetres instead of the 30-millimetre setup used a year earlier.

That was reason enough to stay on the same bike, and Pogačar himself did not know the full extent of the damage. Kavcnik believes that was actually a good thing. “If Tadej had known the true condition of his bike, he would never have descended so aggressively. Not even when he attacked on the descent of the Poggio and tried to push Pidcock to the absolute limit.” Knowledge may be power, but not always.