The close to misses continued for Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) at Milan-San Remo in 2025 as when Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) cut up up the race together with his inevitable assault on the Cipressa at round 25km to go, the riders who might go together with him had been the one ones left with an opportunity at victory and the Australian rider was not amongst them.
“We anticipated what he did at this time,” Matthews instructed Cyclingnews and Roleur in San Remo. “I feel it was no secret what he was going to do however realizing it and following it’s two various things.”
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) had been the one riders who might pull themselves again to the world champion’s wheel when he delivered his brutal acceleration early on the climb they usually had been finally rewarded with the highest two spots on the rostrum.
“It was actually fairly hectic the entire run into the Cipressa, like at all times I suppose, however whenever you haven’t bought the best of legs all these little micro-efforts you must do to remain in entrance and keep in place actually zaps so much out of you legs,” mentioned Matthews. “Then when Tadej hit it on Cipressa I simply didn’t have the legs to observe.”
Matthews, understandably, as soon as once more put an enormous goal on the Monument the place he completed second final yr and in addition has two third locations and, now, two fourth place finishes as effectively. He had ready for the block of racing with three weeks at altitude in Tenerife in heat circumstances and did not react effectively to the icy flip at Paris-Nice after which a chilly Milan-San Remo.
“Honestly, my legs had been actually unhealthy at this time. I’m actually battling the chilly,” mentioned Matthews. “With Paris-Nice additionally the chilly climate and right here once more the chilly climate, at this time my legs simply felt completely lactated within the chilly as quickly as I need to go arduous.”
Still, Matthews did handle to safe fourth by powering by way of to assert the dash from the bunch, which got here to the road 43 seconds after Van der Poel, Ganna and Pogačar had already stuffed the highest three spots.
“With that many podiums, that many prime fives, prime tens, this race – as a lot as he loves it – is irritating for him as effectively however when Pogacar opens up like that there’s not a lot you are able to do,” mentioned sports activities director Matthew Hayman in a Jayco-AlUla video interview put out on social media.
“He bought essentially the most out of the state of affairs he was in. You form of must be proud of that, proud of the efficiency of the blokes, however we didn’t come right here for fourth.”
