The Poggio has delivered its verdict.
The fight in the final ascent of the first Monument of the season was expected, it took place.
But it was the descent to San Remo that was the justice of the panting Italian race.
At the end of the suspense, Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) won on Milan-San Remo after escaping on the descent, his favorite ground, less than 5 km from the finish.
Second on the line, Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) will harbor regrets as he finishes close to the Slovenian.
It's a surprise victory in two acts.
After a great start to the season, Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) and Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) were announced as the huge favorites for the event.
After climbing the Cipressa with the fastest pace of this century, the peloton led by Pogacar's formation took over the last two breakaway men, before launching hostilities.
Victim of the big fall during the Strade-Bianche, Matej Mohoric had not participated in Tirreno-Adriatico.
Besides Wout Van Aert in 2020 (August), he is the first to win #MilanoSanRemo since Claudio Chiappucci in 1991 without going through Paris-Nice or the Course des deux mers.
pic.twitter.com/MZT1GH9VgJ
— The Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) March 19, 2022
The last winner of the Tour de France allowed himself to attack three times in quick succession in the ascent of Poggio in the hope of taking down the Van Aert, van der Poel and other sprinters.
In vain.
The switch was then made in single file.
The right moment for Matej Mohoric to run away, alone.
“I knew it would be my day”
“I've been thinking about this race all winter.
It's a race that suits me, I knew it would be my day, there were the best today but I took risks in the descent.
We had this plan, I knew I could make a difference in the downhill and it paid off,” said the winner of the Primavera after his race.
Eighth at the finish, Wout Van Aert assured that he had no regrets: “We couldn't outrun the best sprinters or descenders.
I don't have many regrets apart from the podium but there isn't room for everyone.
Tadej Pogacar for his part finished 5th (+2″) while the one who came closest to the Grail is none other than the Frenchman Anthony Turgis (2nd, +2″), just ahead of Mathieu van der Poel (3rd , +2″) who shouldn't even have contested this Monument due to back and knee pain.
Matej Mohoric is coming back from afar since he had fallen during the Strade Bianche, just like Julian Alaphilippe.
since then, he has not taken part in any race, namely Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.
Winning in Milan-San Remo in this way is therefore something unique, because Mohoric is the first rider to achieve such a performance since Claudio Chiappucci in 1991.
