Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) had few regrets as he mirrored on his efficiency at Milan-San Remo, accepting there was little he might do in opposition to a rampant and really race-smart Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).
Pogačar attacked as soon as on the Poggio and drew out the important collection of large names: solely Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Van der Poel might go together with him and attempt to cling on to his again wheel on the ultimate kilometre of the Poggio.
True to nature, Pogačar was beneficiant in the best way he drove the group alongside close to the summit however then he had no reply when Van der Poel attacked over him then dived down the descent to victory within the By way of Roma.
“No, no regrets,” he advised Cyclingnews and Eurosport because the Italian tifosi crowded in on the UAE Crew Emirates bus.
“Final 12 months I attacked 4 occasions, this 12 months simply as soon as. I attempted to go to the highest. Perhaps I used to be simply not robust sufficient to go solo to the highest, but it surely was a extremely nice effort from all of the crew in the present day.”
Pogačar praised Tim Wellens for establishing his assault on the Poggio and Van der Poel on the best way he counter-attacked, admitting he had no response when the Dutchman blew previous him.
“Mathieu was sprinting on the prime [of the Poggio]. I used to be already lifeless from my flip,” he conceded.
“He opened the hole actually quick after which on the downhill, he was additionally higher than us. Out of the corners, you possibly can see he was actually sprinting. The three of us, we couldn’t do the identical as him. Because of this, he gained.
“I had one objective in the present day. And that was to assault after Tim’s [Wellens] pull. Tim did a extremely excellent job, I’ve to thank him quite a bit. I used to be not robust sufficient to go solo, I used to be with 4 guys. Then Van der Poel attacked, and I couldn’t comply with, he was too robust. Then I used to be lifeless to the end.”
Pogačar will subsequent face Van der Poel and his Classics rivals in Belgium on the E3 Saxo Basic after which the Tour of Flanders.
He’s not in search of revenge, simply extra good races.
“The perfect man gained. And one of the best man will win in Flanders for certain,” he stated sportingly.
