Highlights: Pogacar burnishes GOAT candidacy with stunning Milano-Sanremo win
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Tom Pidcock could not hide his disappointment after he lost a thrilling sprint finish to the indomitable Tadej Pogacar as the Slovenian superstar overcame a crash to secure his first Milano-San Remo title.
Pinarello-Q36.5’s Pidcock missed out on the first Monument triumph of his career by the finest of margins despite Pogacar’s crash just before the crucial climb of the Cipressa.
The four-time Tour de France winner has now come out on top at four of cycling’s five Monuments, with only Paris-Roubaix, which takes place next month, left to add to his collection.
Pidcock said that he could not help but be disappointed despite going toe-to-toe with a legend of the sport.
“Honestly, I need time to reflect because right now, I feel pretty disappointed,” he said.
“It hurts to be so close, if it was Tadej alone and I was alone, I would be very happy. I was told it is four centimeters and that hurts quite a lot that it was so close.
What is left for Pogacar to complete cycling?
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“Obviously, I mean, I lost to Tadej, he is one of the best cyclists ever, so I can’t be disappointed, but I can’t help it.
“I felt amazing, last year I was super disappointed because I knew I could be there in the front.
“It is nice to prove that I can be there this year, that I have got the legs for that, but as I say, I can’t help but be disappointed.
“It was so close to a Monument win, but I need to look at it from a wider perspective because I think what I did was quite amazing and I am quite proud.”
Mathieu van der Poel was also in the running until the final climb, the Poggio, which saw him fall behind.
That set the stage for a dramatic two-man race, with Pogacar setting off on his sprint first before beating his British rival to the line.
Pogacar said he was afraid that he had mistimed his sprint.
Watch: Pogacar beats Pidcock to the line by half a bike length to win Milano-Sanremo
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“Yeah, when I crashed, for a second I thought it was all over because it was just before the most important part of the race, it was not ideal.
“Luckily, I was back on the bike quickly, and there was not too much damage to me or the bike.
“Tom Pidcock was really strong. In the end, me and Tom, we came together, and I was lucky in the sprint.
“Tom is a really fast guy, we all know this. He is punchy, he is sharp, and he looks in really good shape.
“I was a bit afraid when he let me go first, but I also knew I could not wait too long because he has a better kick than me, and in the end it was really close.”
Pidcock: Pogacar told me he won’t race Milano-Sanremo again
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It is back to the drawing board for Pidcock, but TNT Sports expert Adam Blythe insists it is the sharpest he has ever seen the 26-year-old.
“He needs to be proud because that is probably the best I have Tom, ever,” he said. “Tom will be able to pick out his own mistakes and pick out little bits from today’s ride.
“Today we saw him right at the front for about 50km, sitting fifth, sixth or seventh wheel. It is about marginal gains this race, if you can save a tiny bit of energy, you save it.”
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