Will Pogacar win his fourth monument with Milan-San Remo? "The last two hours will be absolute madness"

He has come close to winning La Primavera several times already. With a fifth and fourth place, the Slovenian came close to the podium in the past two years, but he has never been able to claim the victory flowers in the Italian spring race. "Sanremo is one of the hardest races to win," the UAE Team Emirates leader told Eurosport.

"I think everyone wants to win a race, but especially one of the five monuments," he said at the team presentation the day before the longest race (288 kilometers) of the year. "For me, it's a big challenge. Last year I felt very good, but I couldn't land the victory and the podium. I missed those, and it was very disappointing. But this year I feel much better and have more confidence."

The competition has been warned. In the Strade Bianche, the all-rounder already tore the peloton apart and won after an eighty-kilometer solo that earned him an almost three-minute lead. "Let's see how the race goes on the Cipressa. I hope I still have the best legs on the Poggio," the 25-year-old rider says, looking ahead to the first monument of the year.

So how does Pogacar himself think he can win? "Everything has to go perfectly to be able to win here. Everyone has more or less the same plan. It really comes down to the last hour of the race. In those last two hours, the race becomes absolute madness, and then you need to have your best legs on the final two climbs."