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Tadej Pogacar has finally conquered Milan-San Remo, winning the prestigious one-day classic on Saturday after a dramatic race that included a crash just 21 miles from the finish line. The Slovenian cyclist remarkably battled back to claim his 11th Monument victory, edging out Britain’s Tom Pidcock in a photo finish by half a wheel.
CAPOLAVORO DI POGACAR 🤯🚀
Tadej Pogacar vince al fotofinish una gara meravigliosa con un Pidcock davvero monumentale e in forma smagliante ⚔️
Lo sloveno è caduto, poi ha ripreso il gruppo e poi ha avuto l’energia per lo spunto finale. Chiude terzo un super Van Aert 🔝… pic.twitter.com/2pu0WVIlnP
— Eurosport IT (@Eurosport_IT) March 21, 2026
Pogacar’s chances appeared to take a hit when he was involved in a crash on the approach to the Cipressa climb. Showing incredible resilience, the Slovenian rider fought his way back to the peloton and launched a powerful attack to secure victory in the Italian classic. The crash also impacted several other riders, including Wout van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson, Giulio Pellizzari, Biniam Girmay, and Soren Kragh Andersen.
With his shorts ripped on the left side, Pogacar dug deep and continued the race. He later admitted he briefly thought his race was over. “When I crashed, for a second, I thought it was finished,” Pogacar told race organizers.
Tadej Pogacar : "Quand je suis tombé, pendant une seconde je me suis dit que c'était terminé. Tomber avant la partie la plus importante de la course, ce n'est pas idéal. Heureusement, j'avais pas trop de dommages. [Regarde son bras] Bon, quelques-uns ! [Rires] Après, j'ai vu mon équipe donner tout pour me ramener devant. Ils m'ont donné de l'espoir." #MilanoSanremo pic.twitter.com/zZE5MBPX34
— Le Gruppetto (@LeGruppetto) March 21, 2026
“Falling right before the most important part of the race isn’t ideal, obviously. But luckily, I was able to gain back on the bike quickly without too much damage. [Looks at his arm] Well, some! [Laughs] Then I saw my team giving everything to bring me back to the front. They gave me hope. If it wasn’t for the team, I wouldn’t have turned right onto the Cipressa, but gone straight to the finish.”
Pidcock was left searching for words after the race. “Honestly, I need some time to think because right now I’m pretty disappointed. They told me the gap was 4cm… It hurts to be so close, even losing to Pogacar today, who is the best of all time,” the Briton acknowledged.
With this victory on Via Roma, Tadej Pogacar adds the 11th Monument to his impressive palmarès in 21 participations. Of the great cycling classics, only Paris-Roubaix remains for Pogacar to complete his collection.
