Mohorič attacks on the descent off the Poggio to win Milan-San Remo
After a flurry of attacks by Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) going up the Poggio came to nothing, it was a powerful surge off the front on the descent by his Slovenian compatriot Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) that ultimately proved the winning move on Saturday at Milan-San Remo.
The 27-year-old Slovenian made a big attack shortly after hitting the downhill inside the last 5 km of the race and immediately got a small gap, which he extended over the ensuing minutes as he took no shortage of risks on the winding road down to San Remo. Even as the gradient eased off, a much-reduced group of chasers was unable to mount a coherent pursuit, and Mohorič took a handful of seconds into the last few kilometers.
Mohorič held on to take the victory ahead of Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies), with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) securing his the final spot on the podium in his first race of the season.
Mohorič said afterward that he and his team had been eyeing this race for some time.
“Actually I was thinking about this race for the whole winter,” a smiling Mohorič said after the victory. “The team came up with the idea of using a dropper post because this race suits me pretty well and it has a descent at the very end. I knew that if I could train properly over the winter and try to be in a good enough condition to not be dropped on [the] Poggio, to be with the best guys over the top, that I have a chance of doing my best descent and risking a little bit but maybe being able to hang on for the win.
“The team set up a bike for me. We had this plan for a long, long time now. I was thinking at first it’s maybe not going to make a huge difference on the descent, but then I tried it in the training and the first time I tried it, I was amazed at how much safer if you go normally it gives you way more control of the bike, and if you go full gas, of course you can go a little bit faster. It’s easier to avoid mistakes, or correct them when they happen.”
A pileup earlier this year threatened to derail Mohorič’s plans, but he said that he remained optimistic – though on the Poggio itself, he wasn’t particularly confident. Obviously, things worked out in the end.
“I was in perfect condition after I was ill in February for Strade Bianche but then unfortunately I had quite a big crash when [Julian] Alaphilippe crashed and I hurt my knee pretty bad, so I was off bike for three or four days, but I never stopped believing,” Mohorič explained.
“I said, ‘If we worked hard this winter and set up the bike and everything, then we need to make the best of it.’ I did a lot of physio every night, every morning. I never stopped believing. I did some basic training to keep as much condition as possible and today I am here. I didn’t believe it – I was not going super well, but it was enough to hang on with the best throughout the Poggio and then I just went all in. I can’t believe it, I’m without voice.”
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