Tadej Pogačar has added another monument to his extraordinary palmares, winning the 2026 Milan-San Remo in dramatic fashion after crashing on the approach to the Cipressa and then launching a devastating attack on the Poggio that left the rest of the peloton scrambling.
The Slovenian superstar, who has dominated professional cycling over the past several seasons, showed remarkable resilience after hitting the deck on the treacherous descent leading into one of the race’s decisive climbs. Rather than playing it safe after the crash, Pogačar did what he does best—he attacked.
The Crash That Should Have Ended His Race
The incident occurred on the approach to the Cipressa, one of the two iconic climbs that define the finale of La Classicissima. Pogačar went down in a group crash that initially appeared to end his chances. With road rash visible and his jersey torn, team support quickly got him back on his bike, but the gap to the front of the race was significant.
What followed was a masterclass in determination. Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates domestiques worked furiously to bring him back to the peloton before the crucial Poggio climb, burning through their own reserves in the process. By the time the road tilted upward for the final decisive ascent, Pogačar was right where he needed to be—at the front.
The Poggio Attack
True to form, Pogačar didn’t wait for the sprint. On the Poggio—the short, steep climb that has decided countless editions of Milan-San Remo—he launched an acceleration that immediately shed Mathieu van der Poel from his wheel. The Dutch champion, himself a formidable classics rider, simply couldn’t match the pace.
Pogačar crested the Poggio with a small advantage and descended into San Remo with enough time to hold off the chasers. Tom Pidcock finished second, with Wout van Aert completing the podium after a strong ride through the finale. Van der Poel, who had been the pre-race favorite alongside Pogačar, faded to finish just off the podium.
Adding to an Unmatched Legacy
The victory further cements Pogačar’s status as the most complete rider of his generation—and arguably one of the greatest cyclists in the history of the sport. His ability to bounce back from a crash and then produce a race-winning attack within the span of a few kilometers speaks to both his physical gifts and his extraordinary mental fortitude.
Milan-San Remo is notoriously difficult to win through pure climbing strength, given its relatively flat profile over nearly 300 kilometers before the decisive final hour. That Pogačar can dominate both grand tours and the longest one-day race in professional cycling underscores just how far ahead of his contemporaries he currently sits.
What’s Next for Pogačar
With the spring classics season now in full swing, the cycling world will be watching to see whether Pogačar targets additional monuments before shifting his focus to the grand tour season. His form suggests he’s riding at an incredibly high level, and few would bet against him adding more victories to an already remarkable 2026 campaign.
For the rest of the peloton, the message from San Remo is clear: even when things go wrong for Pogačar, he’s still the most dangerous man in the race.
