Tadej Pogačar has done it again. The Slovenian superstar won Milan-San Remo 2026 in typically extraordinary fashion, outsprinting Tom Pidcock by the narrowest of margins on the Via Roma after surviving a dramatic crash earlier in the race that should have ended his chances.
The victory gives Pogačar his fourth different Monument title and his first-ever win at La Classicissima after four consecutive top-five finishes. It also cements his status as arguably the most complete stage racer and one-day specialist in professional cycling history.
The Crash That Should Have Ended It
The race’s decisive narrative began not on the Poggio or the Cipressa, but on a seemingly unremarkable stretch of road with 33 kilometers remaining. Pogačar was caught up in a significant crash that left him on the tarmac while the front of the race continued without him.
Wout van Aert, who finished third, later expressed his astonishment at Pogačar’s recovery. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider said he saw Pogačar on the ground during the crash and didn’t expect to see him again until after the finish — certainly not contesting the sprint on the Via Roma.
But Pogačar, riding for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, immediately remounted and began a furious chase. He rejoined the back of the peloton at the base of the Cipressa — one of the race’s two signature climbs — then sliced through the group to return to the front of the race in time for the decisive moments.
A Two-Up Sprint for the Ages
The finale came down to a two-man sprint between Pogačar and Pidcock, the Pinarello-Q36.5 rider who has emerged as one of the most versatile talents in the peloton. Pidcock, a former Olympic mountain bike champion and cyclocross world champion, gave everything in the sprint but was edged out by half a wheel as both riders threw their bikes at the line.
Van Aert crossed the line four seconds behind in third, followed by Mads Pedersen of Lidl-Trek in fourth.
Full Results
1. Tadej Pogačar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates-XRG) — 6:35:49
2. Tom Pidcock (GBR, Pinarello-Q36.5) — same time
3. Wout van Aert (BEL, Visma-Lease a Bike) — +4 seconds
4. Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl-Trek)
A Monument Collection Like No Other
With this victory, Pogačar now has wins at the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia, and Milan-San Remo. Only Paris-Roubaix remains unchecked on his Monument list — and given his trajectory, few would bet against him eventually completing the full set.
The win also continues Pogačar’s remarkable run of form in 2026. Coming into Milan-San Remo, the 27-year-old had already demonstrated the kind of early-season sharpness that has become his hallmark, and the victory in cycling’s longest one-day race only adds to the growing sense that his dominance of the sport shows no signs of fading.
What’s Next
Attention now turns to the cobbled classics, with the E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, and the Tour of Flanders looming on the calendar. Whether Pogačar will target the cobbles or begin shifting his focus toward the summer Grand Tours remains to be seen, but Saturday’s performance suggests he is capable of winning virtually anything he enters.
