Milan-San Remo 2025 males’s contenders – Pogačar and Van der Poel centre stage however highlight might rapidly swing

The first Monument of the season has virtually arrived, with the 289km males’s Milan-San Remo set to play out on Saturday with World Champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) as soon as once more taking to the beginning line in Pavia to attempt to seize that illusive title however there’ll, after all, be an extended listing of the strongest riders within the peloton decided to face in his method.

The size of the race, after all, at all times provides one more layer of unpredictability to the occasion which has each climbers and sprinters among the many listing of protagonists. Mistakes are amplified by the buildup of kilometres. A rider will pay dearly for further vitality spent throughout the six-plus hours on the bike when it comes all the way down to the essential ultimate cost over Poggio and doubtlessly decisive descent earlier than the ultimate sprint to the road.

The race that generally ends with a solo winner and different years, together with the one simply gone, with a diminished bunch dash has a fame of being one of many hardest to overcome. The absence of a victory for Pogačar, who appears to have little hassle in bending different occasions to his will, to this point is a working example as is the historical past of winners, with no rider taking victories in consecutive years since Erik Zabel claimed wins quantity 4 and 5 in 2000 and 2001.

So whereas defending champion Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) could also be heading into the race with indicators of robust kind, having gained at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, the percentages of a repeat aren’t on his aspect. Though with 2023 winner Mathieu van der Poel lining up for Alpecin-Deceuninck as effectively, they are going to be a formidable duo to beat.

Still, there are numerous who can be lining up on the 116th version with the shape and historical past to benefit from any alternative that comes their method so as to add the Monument to their palmarès so Cyclingnews has run the ruler over the listing of anticipated starters – begin lists are but to be finalised – to convey you among the riders which will have what it takes to be combating for victory on the Via Roma.

Also look out for the favourites on the reboot of the Milan-San Remo Women, which can be out on Cyclingnews quickly.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG)

There appears to be little Tadej Pogačar cannot conquer, Milan-San Remo nonetheless is a fickle beast and it is usually the one highway race the place he has lined up greater than twice that he hasn’t managed to tame. 2025, after all, might be the 12 months that modifications that, with the world champion turning into a predictable presence close to the entrance at what’s a largely unpredictable occasion. He has labored his method up the outcomes desk, beginning with a twelfth in 2020, shifting on to fifth in 2022, fourth in 2023 and third in 2024.

The assault can be inevitable, the one query is: can anybody observe? Even if they cannot initially, will Pogačar be capable to stretch out sufficient of a spot to carry off the quick finishers? For the final two years it has been Mathieu van der Poel who has had Pogačar’s measure on the ultimate climb which peaks with round 6km to go, with the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider occurring to take victory in 2023 after which in 2024 set his quick ending teammate Jasper Philipsen up for the highest spot as a substitute. The Slovenian as soon as once more appears to be like to be coming into the race with highly effective kind, with even a crash proving to be not sufficient to cease him from sweeping up Strade Bianche earlier this month and the ensuing cuts, scratches and thorns not showing to place an excessive amount of of a dent in his preparation. 

There has not been an incredible deal between Pogačar and the highest spot up to now two years, so it will take little or no to tip the stability in 2025.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the rider anticipated to be the largest thorn in Pogačar’s aspect, in any case it’s a function he has performed the final two years by sticking with the present world champion on the Poggio after which utilizing his energy to take victory for himself or, in 2024, assist his teammate Jasper Philipsen accomplish that within the ultimate sprint to the road.

Van der Poel is heading into the 2025 version with an analogous preparation to 2023, the 12 months he took the win, having simply raced Tirreno-Adriatico which is a distinction to 2024 when it was his first race of the highway season.

He did not fairly handle to win a stage on the week lengthy race, however he lit up the race a number of occasions and the second and third locations nonetheless put him effectively up on the lead in two years in the past. What’s extra the rider additionally mentioned that he discovered the odds he was in search of and most significantly stayed wholesome by way of the inclement circumstances. Still, whereas the prospect of a Van der Poel-Pogačar battle could also be tantalising, it’s his teammate that’s defending champion. Depending on the race scenario there isn’t any assure that Van der Poel is not going to as soon as once more lay down his probability for an additional, though together with his robust lead on this 12 months it’s even perhaps more durable to go previous him as a key favorite.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck)

Jasper Philipsen took the reigns for Alpecin-Deceuninck in 2024, when as he put it “begged Mathieu on the radio to not work with Pogačar as a result of I had nice legs”. It was a choice that paid off for the staff. Before that victory, there had been two years of solo winners so whereas there’s actually no assure of a bunch end once more this 12 months, if that circumstance performs out as soon as once more it’s onerous to look previous the defending champion.

Philipsen has had a robust begin to the season, shifting from a 3rd place at his first one-day occasion – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad – to a successful effort at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. There he overcame a rider who might effectively be a rival once more come Saturday, Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike). The worth of getting a rider like Van der Poel as a teammate cannot be underestimated. While there’s a chance that it means Philipsen could must sacrifice his probabilities for the 2023 winner, Van der Poel has additionally proven his willingness to put all of it on the market for his teammate and his energy to ship a lead out or, like final 12 months, assist pull the race again collectively is second to none.

Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla)

It was heartbreak for Michael Matthews on the 2024 Milan-San Remo, as whereas the rider made it to the rostrum on the occasion for a 3rd time, the highest step remained simply out of attain. There had been centimetres in it as he crossed the road alongside Philipsen, in a race the place the state of affairs of a diminished bunch dash performed virtually completely into the Jayco-AlUla rider’s arms all aside from that ultimate few centimetres.

Still, whereas such a close to miss for the rider who already had a pair of third locations, a fourth and sixth on his palmarès has additionally bred hope for 2025, with Matthews so near discovering a successful formulation that he largely repeated his preparation this season to attempt to fulfil that prime step dream. Paris-Nice was his lead-in race, although thankfully there was no repeat of the DNF attributable to abdomen problems with final 12 months. There he was a robust drive within the staff time trial that drove the staff to second place on stage 3 and constructed his racing rhythm, with all eyes set for a payoff on March 22 the place he hopes to be the primary Australian to face on the rostrum since Simon Gerrans in 2012, when the Victorian adopted up on the win by Matt Goss the 12 months earlier than.

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)

Mads Pedersen appeared filled with promise as he charged in the direction of the road in final 12 months’s Milan-San Remo, launching the dash from teammate Jasper Stuyven’s wheel however then Philipsen and Matthews launched down the opposite aspect of the highway and Pogačar additionally swept by way of. Fourth was what was left for Pedersen in 2024, a step up from the pair of sixth locations within the earlier two editions however one painful spot shy of the rostrum. 

However, one other probability awaits in 2025 and he’s clearly heading again with scorching kind. Pedersen was a drive at Tour de la Provence in February, successful a stage and the race total, then went on to additionally declare stage 6 at Paris-Nice, in addition to the factors classification. Just as spectacular was the present of climbing kind which delivered a top-10 summit end and an extended break on the final hilly stage. 

On prime of that 2021 winner Stuyven can also be as soon as once more on board – hopefully with not felt too many ailing results from a crash on the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico – offering a robust duo for Lidl-Trek. But there’s additionally extra, as Jonathan Milan can be one other potential trump card for the staff if it comes all the way down to a dash, with the 24-year-old recent from two stage victories at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Tom Pidcock (Q36.5)

A late assault could not have labored out for Tom Pidcock final 12 months, however he nonetheless remained hopeful after strolling away with eleventh place: “In this state of affairs, it did not actually work out what I did. But possibly in one other 12 months, then I might win,” he mentioned on the time.

Heading into 2025, a lot has modified for the British rider, who has switched from Ineos Grenadiers to Q36.5, nevertheless it actually hasn’t accomplished his efficiency any hurt. Pidcock began the season by taking two phases and the general win on the AlUla Tour, then moved on to Vuelta a Andalucia the place he took one other stage victory and third total. He then took second place at Strade Bianche and in addition two runner-up stage spots at Tirreno-Adriatico. As robust as these outcomes had been, he did categorical some frustration at taking one other second place after the Queen stage of the Italian race, which maybe might assist ship somewhat further motivation to throw all in to make Milan-San Remo the last word successful end to this early season racing block.

Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike)

With 2020 winner Wout van Aert as soon as once more not on the beginning line of Milan-San Remo, Visma-Lease a Bike can be wanting elsewhere. Last 12 months it was Christophe Laporte who carried the management function into the race, however with the skilled Laporte unwell it was a debuting Olav Kooij who was the staff’s prime finisher. It was 14th in the long run for the younger Dutch rider, within the second group which was simply 35 seconds behind the victor. What’s extra, with the begin to the 12 months the 23-year-old has had hopes are excessive that he can construct on this, with a dash victory after a tough and hilly stage at Tirreno-Adriatico final week on stage 4 including gasoline to the fireplace. 

“This 12 months I feel I’m feeling even higher. Milan-San Remo is considered one of my dream races and so hopefully I can do some bit higher than final 12 months,” Kooij instructed Cyclingnews and La Gazzetta dello Sport after the win in Trasacco. Kooij is one other of the riders who can be hoping the race once more comes all the way down to a dash and that this time he can get the higher of Philipsen, who beat him to the road at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne initially of the month. 

Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers)

Filippo Ganna was one of many few who might maintain onto Pogačar when he laid down his preliminary assault on the Poggio final 12 months and has been readying his legs to deal with one other at Tirreno-Adriatico, totally participating within the attacking video games with Milan-San Remo rival Van der Poel on the longest stage. “I attempted to go early to see how I felt after six hours of racing. It was a superb check for the subsequent lengthy races,” Ganna defined after the 239km stage 3. 

The assault could not have delivered the specified outcome this time, with Ganna ending tenth on the stage, however the leg-testing stage race that ended with a win within the opening time trial and second total are promising indicators for what’s forward. Ganna could have slipped away to fortieth final 12 months on the Monument after Pogačar’s second Poggio assault proved a bridge too far however he is aware of what it takes to complete close to the entrance, having taken second in 2023. On prime of that Ganna appears decided to guide by instance in his plight to carry Ineos Grenadiers to success – a prime outcome at Milan-San Remo would go a good distance so as to add momentum to that rebound.

Honourable mentions