Tadej Pogacar has finally conquered Milan-San Remo. The Slovenian superstar survived a dramatic crash 33 kilometers from the finish to win the 2026 edition of La Primavera in a photo finish against Tom Pidcock on Saturday, March 21, adding the first Monument he had never won to a palmares that already defies belief.
Pogacar crossed the line on the Via Roma in a time of 6 hours 35 minutes and 49 seconds, with Pidcock awarded the same time and Wout Van Aert finishing third at four seconds back. It was a result that few would have predicted after the chaos that unfolded on the run-in to the decisive Cipressa and Poggio climbs.
Crash, Chase, Conquer
The narrative of this race will be remembered for Pogacar’s remarkable resilience. A significant crash brought him down with 33km remaining, forcing a frantic chase back to the peloton at a point in the race where gaps are almost impossible to close. His UAE Team Emirates-XRG squad rallied around him, driving the pace to bring their leader back to the front just in time for the decisive final act.
The Cipressa, the penultimate climb that often serves as a launchpad for aggressive moves, saw several attacks that stretched the group. But it was on the Poggio, the iconic final ascent that has decided so many editions of this race, where the real selection was made. Pogacar and Pidcock emerged together at the front, the two strongest riders on the day, and committed to a two-up sprint for the victory.
A Photo Finish for the Ages
The sprint along the Via Roma was desperately close. Pogacar launched first, driving hard from the front, while Pidcock tried to come around on the outside. At the line, it took the photo-finish camera to separate them, with Pogacar winning by what officials described as half a wheel length.
For Pidcock, riding for Pinarello-Q36.5, it was a bittersweet result. The British rider’s versatility across road, mountain bike, and cyclocross makes him one of the most exciting talents in the sport, and finishing second at a Monument confirms his continued upward trajectory on the road. Van Aert, the Visma-Lease a Bike star who has finished on the podium at San Remo multiple times, rounded out the top three in what was another strong spring showing.
History Made
The victory gives Pogacar his fourth different Monument win, a feat that places him among a very exclusive group of riders in cycling history. At just 27, he has now won the Tour of Flanders, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Il Lombardia, and Milan-San Remo, leaving only Paris-Roubaix unchecked on the Monument list.
It also ends what had been a curious drought at La Primavera for the world champion. Despite four consecutive top-five finishes, the win had always eluded him. The longest one-day race on the calendar, at nearly 300km, demands a unique combination of endurance, positioning, climbing ability, and sprint speed that makes it notoriously difficult to control. That Pogacar managed it after hitting the tarmac earlier in the race makes the achievement all the more impressive.
What It Means for the Spring Classics
Pogacar’s form at San Remo sends a clear signal to his rivals ahead of the remaining spring classics. The cobbled monuments, including the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, are just weeks away, and his ability to recover from adversity and still produce a race-winning effort suggests he is in the kind of condition that could yield a historically dominant spring campaign.
For Pidcock and Van Aert, there is plenty to build on. Both riders showed they belong at the very top of the Monuments hierarchy, and the tactical chess match between this trio is shaping up to be one of the defining storylines of the 2026 season.
The next major date on the spring calendar is the E3 Saxo Classic on March 28, followed by the Tour of Flanders on April 6. If San Remo is anything to go by, the battles ahead promise to be extraordinary.
