Matej Mohoric triumphs at Milan-San Remo after thrilling descent of the Poggio

In a move he claimed was planned over the winter, Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) caused an upset in the first of cycling’s Monuments after riding clear of an illustrious field on the descent of the Poggio to win the 113rd edition of Milan-San Remo in some style. Despite a late scare – a dropped chain inside the final kilometre – Mohoric kept his cool and held off a late surge from Frenchman Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) to become the first Slovenian to win La Primavera. Ad/> Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, making his first appearance of the season for Alpecin-Fenix, completed the podium ahead of the Australian Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange-Jayco) and Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

Ruta del SolPoels outdoes Lutsenko on the line to land fourth stage at Ruta del Sol19/02/2022 AT 15:55 The in-form Pogacar attacked no less than four times on the Poggio but was unable to make the elastic snap as Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) marked his rival and neutralised the threat. Mohoric kept his powder dry on both the Cipressa and Poggio before coming to the front shortly after the summit of the final climb and making his decisive move. /> Former youth world champion Mohoric, 27, claimed he had planned his attack during the off-season.

“I was thinking about it the whole winter,” he said. “I knew that if I trained properly over the winter and managed to stay in touch going over the top (of the Poggio) then I would have a chance if I attacked on the descent. “I was in perfect condition after I was ill in February.

Unfortunately I had a big crash in Strade Bianche but I rested up and did a lot of physio. I never stopped believing. I did some basic training to keep as much condition as possible.