Wout Poels to make Milan–Sanremo debut — and he might keep riding after the finish: ‘I want 300 kilometres for Strava’

Poels has been racing in the professional peloton since 2009. After fifteen years in the WorldTour, he stepped down this winter to the team of Bas Tietema — a move the climber says he is enjoying immensely. “I have a lot of races on my calendar that I’ve never ridden before, and now I finally get to do them,” he explained in the podcast. “That’s really nice.”

One of those new experiences is scheduled for this weekend: Milan–Sanremo. “That race has been on my list for a long time, but it never fit into the schedule because of the Volta a Catalunya,” said Poels, who will finally make his debut in the season’s first Monument at the age of 38.

The climber did not leave his place in the team’s selection to chance. “When I saw that we had been invited to ride Sanremo, I immediately told the team they could put me on the start list. Normally I should be going there, yes.” Poels will also be riding a different type of program this season compared to what he is used to.

“So far I’ve only done one stage race this year, and the rest have all been one-day races. That’s already a big change. But it’s really fun,” said the experienced Rockets rider, who added that he is particularly looking forward to both Milan–Turin, where he starts on Wednesday, and Milan–Sanremo itself.

“Milan–Sanremo is such an iconic race, especially with the distance of 298 kilometres,” Poels said. But he might not stop riding once he crosses the finish line. “After the finish I might just ride another two kilometres for Strava. Just to make it 300 kilometres,” joked the 2016 Liège–Bastogne–Liège winner.

According to Poels, the sheer distance of the race is exactly what makes the Cipressa and Poggio so difficult in the finale. “Those climbs themselves aren’t that hard, but after 290 kilometres the Poggio feels very different. Imagine that after five hours of training you suddenly have to go full gas for another ten minutes.”

Dylan van Baarle, who co-hosts the In Koers podcast with Poels and has ridden Milan–Sanremo four times himself, confirmed that assessment. “It’s mainly the speed they ride up those climbs,” said the Dutch rider. And there is another tricky moment in the finale as well. “That final uphill section toward the finish — riders can still ride away from you there,” Van Baarle warned his friend and colleague.