'When I crashed, for a second I thought it was all over' - How Pogačar survived a crash before finally winning Milan-San Remo

'When I crashed, for a second I thought it was all over' - How Pogačar survived a crash before finally winning Milan-San Remo

A crash with 30km to go, a desperate teammate chase, and a record-breaking Cipressa climb. Pogačar's fourth monument victory was the one that should never have happened.

By Danny Bellion · · 4 min read

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) won the 2026 Milan-San Remo, beating Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) by half a wheel after dropping Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) on the Poggio.

Results

Milan - San Remo • Mar 21 • 294km

Velora
PosRiderTeamTime
🥇
Tadej Pogačar
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG6:35:49
🥈
Thomas Pidcock
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:00
🥉
Wout van Aert
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:04
4
Mads Pedersen
LIDL-TREK+0:04
5
Corbin John Strong
NSN CYCLING TEAM+0:04
6
Andrea Vendrame
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:04
7
Jasper Stuyven
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:04
8
Mathieu van der Poel
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+0:04
9
Matteo Trentin
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:04
10
Edoardo Zambanini
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:04
11
Jenno Berckmoes
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:04
12
Alex Aranburu Deva
COFIDIS+0:04
13
Tobias Lund Andresen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:04
14
Mike Teunissen
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:04
15
Matej Mohoric
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+0:04
16
Christophe Laporte
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:04
17
Paul Lapeira
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:04
18
Romain Gregoire
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:04
19
Laurence Pithie
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:04
20
Jon Barrenetxea Golzarri
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:04
21
Bastien Tronchon
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:04
22
Bryan Coquard
COFIDIS+0:04
23
Guillermo Thomas Silva Coussan
XDS ASTANA TEAM+0:04
24
Jonas Abrahamsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+0:04
25
Georg Zimmermann
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+0:04
26
Maximilian Schachmann
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+0:04
27
Kasper Asgreen
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:04
28
Brandon Mcnulty
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+0:04
29
Clément Braz Afonso
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+0:04
30
Michael Valgren
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:04
31
Mauro Schmid
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:04
32
Mikkel Honoré
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+0:04
33
Filippo Ganna
INEOS GRENADIERS+0:04
34
Mark Jamie Donovan
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:04
35
Natnael Tesfatsion
MOVISTAR TEAM+0:04
36
Jordan Labrosse
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+0:04
37
Primož Roglič
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:04
38
Giulio Ciccone
LIDL-TREK+0:04
39
Alessandro Covi
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+0:04
40
Giulio Pellizzari
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+0:10
41
Julian Alaphilippe
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+0:23
42
Matteo Jorgenson
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+0:42
43
Liam Slock
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+1:41
44
Andrea Bagioli
LIDL-TREK+2:07
45
Matteo Sobrero
LIDL-TREK+2:07
46
Fabio van den Bossche
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+2:58
47
Davide Ballerini
XDS ASTANA TEAM+3:00
48
Mattia Bais
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:00
49
Ivan Garcia Cortina
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:03
50
Sergio Meris
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:17
51
Rick Pluimers
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:45
52
Alfred Brockwell Wright
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:45
53
Mirco Maestri
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:45
54
Filippo Turconi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+3:45
55
Luca Paletti
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+3:45
56
Clement Venturini
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:45
57
Lukáš Kubiš
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:45
58
William Levy
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:45
59
Francisco Muñoz Llana
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:45
60
John Degenkolb
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:45
61
Giovanni Lonardi
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:45
62
Søren Wærenskjold
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:45
63
Yevgeniy Fedorov
XDS ASTANA TEAM+3:45
64
Lorenzo Conforti
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+3:45
65
Robbe Dhondt
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:45
66
Bjoern Koerdt
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:45
67
Laurenz Rex
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+3:45
68
Anders Foldager
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+3:45
69
Jasper Philipsen
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+3:45
70
Filippo Ridolfo
TEAM NOVO NORDISK+3:45
71
Dario Igor Belletta
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:45
72
Casper Pedersen
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+3:45
73
Hartthijs de Vries
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:45
74
Paul Ourselin
COFIDIS+3:45
75
Alessandro Borgo
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:45
76
Edoardo Zamperini
COFIDIS+3:45
77
Erik Nordsaeter Resell
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:45
78
Edward Planckaert
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+3:45
79
Brent van Moer
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:45
80
Paul Magnier
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+3:45
81
Pierre Gautherat
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+3:45
82
Krists Neilands
NSN CYCLING TEAM+3:45
83
Madis Mihkels
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:45
84
Roman Ermakov
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:45
85
Jasha Sütterlin
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+3:45
86
Clement Izquierdo
COFIDIS+3:45
87
Matthew Dinham
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+3:45
88
Jonas Rutsch
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+3:45
89
Pau Miquel Delgado
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:45
90
Kelland O’Brien
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+3:45
91
Luke Lamperti
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+3:45
92
Filip Maciejuk
MOVISTAR TEAM+3:45
93
Xandro Meurisse
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:45
94
Jelle Johannink
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:45
95
Anders Skaarseth
UNO-X MOBILITY+3:45
96
Quentin Pacher
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+3:45
97
Lorenzo Rota
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+3:45
98
Oliver Naesen
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+3:45
99
Florian Stork
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+3:45
100
Luca van Boven
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+3:45
101
Dion Allan Smith
NSN CYCLING TEAM+3:45
102
Nicholas Schultz
NSN CYCLING TEAM+3:45
103
Alberto Bettiol
XDS ASTANA TEAM+3:45
104
Damiano Caruso
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+3:45
105
Jack Leonard Haig
INEOS GRENADIERS+3:45
106
Andrea Pietrobon
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+3:45
107
Tomas Kopecký
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+3:45
108
Biniam Girmay
NSN CYCLING TEAM+3:45
109
Christopher Jensen
TEAM JAYCO ALULA+3:45
110
Isaac del Toro Romero
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+4:01
111
Magnus Nielsen
UNO-X MOBILITY+4:01
112
Fran Miholjević
BAHRAIN VICTORIOUS+4:08
113
Valentin Ferron
COFIDIS+4:18
114
Timo Kielich
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+4:47
115
Oliver Peace
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+4:52
116
Marco Haller
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+5:01
117
Mathias Vacek
LIDL-TREK+5:49
118
Luca Colnaghi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+5:49
119
Wouter Poels
UNIBET ROSE ROCKETS+5:59
120
Victor Campenaerts
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+6:15
121
Finn Lachlan Fox Fisher-Black
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+6:29
122
Benjamin Thomas
COFIDIS+6:37
123
Gianni Moscon
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+7:13
124
Harrison Sweeny
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+7:13
125
Joshua Michael Tarling
INEOS GRENADIERS+7:13
126
Pier-André Côté
NSN CYCLING TEAM+7:42
127
Lewis Askey
NSN CYCLING TEAM+7:42
128
Nicolya Vinokurov
XDS ASTANA TEAM+9:07
129
Søren Kragh Andersen
LIDL-TREK+9:12
130
Marco Manenti
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+9:12
131
Florian Vermeersch
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+11:14
132
Felix Grossschartner
UAE TEAM EMIRATES XRG+11:14
133
Huub Artz
LOTTO INTERMARCHÉ+11:14
134
Gabriele Raccagni
TEAM POLTI VISITMALTA+11:14
135
Mathias Norsgaard
LIDL-TREK+11:14
136
Owain Doull
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+11:50
137
Clément Russo
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+13:03
138
Alastair Mackellar
EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST+13:03
139
Antonio Polga
TEAM NOVO NORDISK+14:35
140
Sam Brand
TEAM NOVO NORDISK+14:35
141
Hamish Armitt
TEAM NOVO NORDISK+14:35
142
Frank van den Broek
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+14:35
143
Lorenzo Milesi
MOVISTAR TEAM+14:35
144
Edoardo Affini
TEAM VISMA | LEASE A BIKE+15:04
145
Ådne Holter
UNO-X MOBILITY+15:04
146
Tord Gudmestad
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+15:04
147
Tim Marsman
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+15:04
148
Mattia Cattaneo
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+15:04
149
Danny van Poppel
RED BULL - BORA - HANSGROHE+15:04
150
Emiel Verstrynge
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+15:04
151
Axel Laurance
INEOS GRENADIERS+15:04
152
Johan Jacobs
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+15:04
153
Kévin Geniets
GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED+16:11
154
Silvan Dillier
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+16:11
155
Gleb Syritsa
XDS ASTANA TEAM+16:23
156
Arthur Kluckers
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+16:23
157
Umberto Poli
TEAM NOVO NORDISK+16:23
158
Noa Isidore
DECATHLON CMA CGM TEAM+16:23
159
Connor Swift
INEOS GRENADIERS+16:23
160
Jacob Eriksson
TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM+16:23
161
Pepijn Reinderink
SOUDAL QUICK-STEP+16:23
162
Ben Turner
INEOS GRENADIERS+16:23
163
Manuele Tarozzi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+16:23
164
Manlio Moro
MOVISTAR TEAM+17:48
165
Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun
PINARELLO-Q36.5 PRO CYCLING TEAM+17:48
166
Michael Gogl
ALPECIN-PREMIER TECH+18:57
167
Martin Marcellusi
BARDIANI CSF 7 SABER+18:57
168
Alexy Faure Prost
TEAM PICNIC POSTNL+19:54

But what preceded that was not the clean, scripted demolition UAE had planned. It was messier, more improvised, and in several respects more impressive than anything the team managed in last year's near-miss.

When Pogačar hit the deck around a left-hand corner in Imperia, his race should have been over. “When I crashed, for a second I thought it was all over” he said after the race. By the time he got back on his bike he was trailing the peloton by around 40 seconds with only a few kilometers to go before the base of the Cipressa. It was down to Florian Vermeersch and Felix Grossschartner to bring the world champion back and they did a monster performance to reduce the gap to 8 seconds by the start of the climb.

McNulty delivers the MVP performance

A rider arriving at the base of the Cipressa out of position in Milan-San Remo does not normally get a second chance. The climb is too short, the pace too high, the road too narrow for riders to move up easily.

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had different ideas. With Pogačar still off the back as the Cipressa began, McNulty drove the pace and created space for Pogačar to follow. Within two minutes, and 4.6km still to climb, Pogačar was back at the front. McNulty wasn't done there and continued to push the pace for another 40 seconds before handing over to Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) .

The rescue proved more critical than any single attack. Jan Christen (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) had already crashed out with 242km to go, and with Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez absent from the roster, UAE's Cipressa lead-out train was thinner than planned. McNulty's effort was an improvisation that preserved the entire race strategy.

Del Toro was only on the front for 500m before Pogačar launched, Pidcock right on the wheel and van der Poel struggling to bridge across. Pogačar attacked again with 400 metres to the summit but couldn't shake the two behind him.

The Cipressa was covered in 8:57, tying the previous race record set in 2025. But even more impressively, Pogačar did the climb in 8:48. That came despite what appeared to be light headwind rather than the tailwind that powered last year's record-breaking assault. The chase group crossed the summit 25 seconds down.

Cipressa & Poggio Climb Times

2026 vs 2025 comparison

Velora
CipressaPoggio
Distance5.6km (4.1%)3.7km (3.7%)
Record8:595:31
20258:595:53
20268:575:42
Pogačar 20268:485:42

On the Poggio, the race became a direct test. Pogačar attacked immediately, with Pidcock glued to his wheel and Van der Poel unable to match the acceleration, finally being distanced. Finally Pogačar had achieved his goal of dropping van der Poel. Unfortunately for him, Pidcock was able to cover the attacks with relative ease. The Poggio was covered in 5:42, compared with 5:53 in 2025 and the strava record of 5:31.

Pidcock's persistence was what turned the finale from a solo victory ride into a sprint. He followed every acceleration on the Cipressa and the Poggio without taking a turn at the front until the descent, where Pogačar pushed hard to extend the gap. By the flamme rouge, 24 seconds separated the front pair from the chase.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) attacked from behind, but it was too late. Pogačar led from one kilometre out and despite Pidcock trying to bait him into an early sprint, held on to win by half a wheel at the line.

In 2025, UAE engineered what was arguably the perfect Cipressa assault and Pogačar still could not shake Van der Poel. In 2026, things went wrong before the climbs even started, and Pogačar won anyway. After the race Pogačar said that if it wasn't for his teammates he would have skipped the Cipressa and ridden straight to the finish. The plan fell apart but the team executed perfectly to deliver a fourth monument. Only Roubaix remains.

Cover image credit: RCS/ Massimi Paolone/LaPresse

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Danny

Danny Bellion

Senior Tech Editor

Danny is an ultra-endurance cyclist and the technical co-founder of Velora. He’s been riding for over 20 years across road, gravel and MTB and done gravel races on both sides of the Atlantic. He’s completed ultras including BikingMan Oman and Dales Divide, where he finished 2nd in 2021.

Away from racing, he’s ridden in more than 40 countries, from bikepacking trips across Europe to an eight-month tour of Asia. He draws on two decades of experience to inform Velora’s product reviews, training and event coverage.