It is being billed as a Pogaar vs Van der Poel smackdown, but there are many others waiting in the wings

INEOS Grenadiers already has a substantial core of its roster set for the medium term. Looking ahead to 2027, the British squad has 14 riders under contract beyond the 2026 season, a group that provides the starting point for shaping the team in the coming years. Within this block, three names sta...

I try not to click on sensational headlines, I really, really dont. But I try not to do a lot of other things, too, such as cross-chaining, drinking in the morning, and cursing at the cat. As usual, the suns barely up and Ive already failed at all of those things (with the exception of the cross-chaining, though I can assure you Ill have done that by lunch), so what the hell, Im going to make you click on this headline too:Heres what happened, and Im not sure how I missed this back in 2023, though presumably it was a rare case of my managing not to click on a lurid headline:An Olympic cyclist whose wife died after he hit her with a car during a fight has been criticised for a social media post describing a Porsche as a weapon.Last year, Rohan Dennis received a 17-month suspended sentence over a 2023 car incident which killed Melissa Hoskins also an Olympic cyclist outside the couples Adelaide home.A court found Dennis was not criminally responsible for his wifes death, but had disregarded her safety after he continued to drive while she clung onto the vehicle.Maybe I wasnt drinking that morning.**[Relax, I dont really drink in the morningexcept for certain holidays and very special occasions. And at airports, obviously. Youre allowed to drink at any time of day or night in an airport.]Anyway, this happened awhile ago, and it sounds like he received a suspended sentence in 2025, but apparently hes in the news again because of a social media post in which he refers to a Porsche as a weapon:Her comments referred to two images that Dennis who is still banned from driving posted on his Instagram account of a newly-washed black Porsche with the caption: What an absolute weapon.I figured this was just an image of people digging up innocent posts from before the incident, but then I checked andholy crap, he made the post two days ago?!?But its okay, because its not the Porsche, its just a Porsche:It is understood the Porsche is not the same car that killed his wife.Whew!Also, he wasnt driving a Porsche at the time. I looked it up, and apparently it was a Volkswagen Amarok, which I also had to look up, because we dont have that car here in West Greenland:Wait. Its a pickup, and you cant buy it here? This story just gets weirder and weirder.Look, as I say, I really try not to get sucked into the sordid affairs of others, or revel in their misfortune. (Unless its someone losing their derailleurs battery halfway through a 100-mile ride and having to complete it without shifting, I will absolutely revel in that.) Also, maybe people are misinterpreting the Porsche postlike, maybe he hates cars now, and so he was calling it a weapon disgustedly, like they do on Streetsblog. But still, I just had to knowhow does something like this even happen, anyway?During the case, the court heard that the pair had been arguing about kitchen renovations before Dennis got into his car to leave.Hoskins jumped onto the bonnet and later held onto the car door as Dennis continued to drive, before falling off and getting struck by the car. She was taken to hospital and later died of her injuries.At sentencing, Judge Ian Press said he accepted Dennis tried to de-escalate the argument by driving off but it did not excuse his actions to keep driving while his wife was on the car.The judge accepted Dennis was remorseful and had a sense of responsibility for all that occurred.What kind of high-stakes kitchen-related argument results in the death of a spouse? Maybe it was over whether they should go with the Waterstone Contemporary Gantry Faucet With Articulated Spout (price: $6,267.75):Or the Waterstone Traditional Wheel Pull-Down Faucet (price: $5,904.75):Each is arguably the Gravel Bike of Faucets, in that theres way too much going on for whats really a pretty straightforward business you could accomplish with something much, much simpler.Look, I already feel ashamed of myself for having written as much about this as I have, but at least maybe we can learn something here, and if nothing else this story is an important reminder that if you have to leave in a huff you should use a bike instead of a car, and also that you should always leave any and all home renovation decisions to your wife. (Its not sexist if its true.) Oh, and STAY OFF SOCIAL MEDIA, especially if youve been involved in someone elses death.Moving on, yesterday I mentioned the Platypus:And in the step-thru spirit Im pleased to present this months winner of the JBARA Award:Also, I dont know who the seller of this next bike is, and I typically dont promote anonymous classifieds, especially since last time I got a reader involved in an online sale they got scammed. Nevertheless, *assuming it is legitimate*, would someone please, please buy this and take it off the market so I dont drive up to New Paltz and buy it for myself?Caveat emptor, do your due diligence, disclaimer disclaimer, and all that stuff. But if you can now pick up a bike like this for under $400 because the world has moved on to crabon, dick breaks, and electrical shifting, then I say bring em on.

Greg James completes 1,000km ride in eight days

Remco Evenepoels carefully structured build towards the 2026 Tour de France has hit an unexpected and potentially significant disruption, with the Belgian currently stranded on Mount Teide following heavy snowfall that has cut off access to and from his altitude camp. The Red Bull - BORA - hansgroh...

The charm of bike racing is that the strongest rider does not always win. Skill, tactics and sheer good luck play a role. Especially in Milan-Sanremo.The race has evolved over the years and now in its 117th edition there is a change. Tadej Pogaars moves on the Cipressa have opened up the race and created a new version where the rules, scenarios and habits of recent years have been revised but the new script is not settled. If he goes again should rivals follow or wait. Stick or twist?The CourseThe same and why change a winning formula. If some races keep adding more climbs or cobbles, the balance here feels perfect as it theoretically allows everyone a shot at glory, from grand tour winners to sprinters this century. But of late the race has excluded the pure sprinters, it is probably beyond the reach of a Mark Cavendish today, or Tim Merlier were he to start today.Theres 125km on the Pianura Padana, past rice fields and across the plains to Ovada. Here the Turchino pass starts. The race takes the old road up and the average gradient is a measly 1.5% and for proof of the gentle slope a railway runs alongside most of it. But there are some steeper moments and at it kicks up at the top.The descent is different, shorter, steeper and with plenty of hairpin bends to describe the technical aspect. Theres a different feel too, the way up was cold and austere, the descent sashays down to a Mediterranean playground of palm trees, beaches and cruise liners.Once on the coastal road theres often a last moment to go back to the team car or stop by the road to remove clothing. Theres 80km to the first of the three capi, the capes where the road rises away from the beaches to tackle headlands. Positioning counts here as riders jostle for position and use up energy. The third one, the Capo Berta is the hardest, over a kilometre at 7-8%. Theres only 10km to the Cipressa.The Cipressa is the hardest climb of the day, compounded by the 261km that has preceded it. Listed as 4.1% gradient for 5.6km its really over 5% for nearly 4km and with some 6-7% parts on a twisting road that helps to line out the peloton such that a rider in 40th place is a long way back measured by time. It flattens out for a balcony section before the village of Cipressa and the pinch point at the top. The descent is tricky in places, especially for riders on the limit. Then comes nine kilometres back on the Via Aurelia.The Poggio is less steep and the early ramps are connected by corners where riders often dab the brakes because theyre going up so fast. Two thirds of the way up and the road straightens out and the steepest part comes, this has often been the moneytime moment where the outcome is decided in a few pedal strokesIts downhill into Sanremo. By itself its not the most difficult descent but now its tricky descent because of the slender margins, nobody can afford to let a rival take a bike length. Its not the flowing downhill Super-G schuss, many of the bends require riders to power out of the exit so it suits beefy riders as much as daredevils.Once clear of the last ramp there are 2.2km to the finish.The ContendersMathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) is the first pick. He won it in 2023 and 2025 and last year showed range, experience and cunning to beat Tadej Pogaar: tracking him on the Cipressa, matching him on the Poggio and then tucking him away in the sprint. This year looks similar but how much can we extrapolate from Tirreno-Adriatico where he took two stages, the first looked effortless, the second more than effortful? If Pogaar goes into the Cipressa in a better position than last year then overcoming his anaerobic torture here is a big ask.His team will take responsibility early on and this brings us to Jasper Philipsen who won in between Van der Poels two wins. Hes not looked so sparkling this season but apparently its all part of a plan where hes sacrificed a little top speed to become more versatile. His win in this weeks Nokere Koerse hints at this, winning the uphill sprint. Parlaying this into the Cipressa-Poggio combo is more than a leap, its a triple jump but it makes him a contender. He also boosts Van der Poels chances as he can mark rivals who dont have a sprinter.Solo or bust for Tadej Pogaar (UAE)? Hes tried a Cipressa attack two years in a row. The first fizzled out, the second got him an option on the win, only to be out-sprinted by Van der Poel. Each time hes had trouble with positioning going in the climb so if his team can deliver him among the first five riders this time hell have an advantage. Third time lucky? Now well see if he drop the field and go solo to the finish. Easy, eh? Everyone bracing for this move and were he to shed everyone up the Cipressa and eek out a few more seconds on the descent theres still 18km to go. Yet if he tries to encourage others to go with him in the move then his chances of being beaten rise; unless he can lure them and then distance them on the Poggio. To add to the easier said than done palimpsest the weather forecast now has a mild headwind in the finish which benefits a group more than a solo rider but only if the chasers are able to get organised and have the numbers to work. Pogaar could sit tight and go all in on the Poggio instead but this forsakes his comparative advantage.Isaac Del Toro can join him on the attack. The Mexican is in form having won Tirreno-Adriatico and has taken plenty of one day races on the Italian calendar already. Normally when Pogaar starts its all in for him on the team and like we saw in the Strade Bianche Del Toro can be deployed to mark rivals.Italians tune for Sanremo every spring the music festival where an Italian is guaranteed to win. Now well see if Filippo Ganna (Ineos) can deliver a crowd-pleaser. He has been runner-up twice, but how to win? The Cipressa represents his climbing limit and while theres huge power for a sprint, there are faster riders. A late attack in the streets of Sanremo might be his best route but assumes he is there and has the energy left to pull this off. His predecessor Fabian Cancellara made a habit of these finisseur moves, Gannas only had one World Tour level road race win, the Giro stage in 2020 but pull it off and like this years song, itll be Per sempre si or Forever yes. Axel Laurance and Ben Turner are sprint cards to play.Visma-LAB are without Matthew Brennan, an ace sprint card. A win for Wout van Aert would be a fairy tale given the form of late but its not the story hes trying to write, his goals are in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix but nobody is going to turn it down here. Christophe Laporte ought to be an archetypal rider for this race but has yet to finish in the top-10. Matteo Jorgenson is a wildcard to play and can probably count on being delivered into the Cipressa but in his own words he cant really sprint.Tom Pidcock (Pinarello-Q36.5) won Milano-Torino in the week, he jumped clear on the Superga for the win and was clearly the best but a show of force when more is needed today. Hes not been in the top-10 before but fits the bill and can win the sprint from a small group. Plus he almost won two years ago with a late move.Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) is no fan of this race as he doesnt like the long, processional wait. He starts on his comeback from a broken wrist, form unknown but team mate Giulio Ciccone could be a surprise.Matej Mohori (Bahrain) is not on many peoples radar and he probably likes that.Paul Magnier (Soudal-Quickstep) crashed hard in Tirenno-Adriatico but is a contender thanks to his ability to deliver a long sprint at the end of a hilly day.Romain Grgoire (Groupama-FDJ) tried to follow Pogaar last year but could not hold on for the final metres of the Cipressa, any gain on this might give him more of an option but as good as he is and the form looks sharp, the rivals look superior.A bunch sprint? As the chart shows theres never a field sprint and even large groups over a decade ago where around thirty riders. So this makes it tough for sprinters like Tobias Lund (Decathlon-CMA CGM) even if hes enjoying an excellent season.So while Luke Lamperti (EF), Magnus Cort (Uno-X), Laurence Pithie (RedBull) or especially Andrea Vendrame (Jayco) are four more to pick among forty more contenders their chances are slim given the competition already cited and as finely balanced as the race may be it is not generating many surprise winners and upsets of late.Mathieu van der PoelPogaarGanna, PhilipsenDel Toro, PidcockVan Aert, Laporte, MagnierWeather: 5C at the start in Pavia but sunny and a light tailwind. Later a milder 17C along the coast where a light tailwind from the NE will switch to a SW headwind within the final 50km. Tactically this matters as a headwind can put a lid on things but the forecast seems uncertain, the timing of the change in wind direction isnt certain.TV: the start is at 10.10am and the finish is at 4.55pm CET. Its live on RAI for locals and VPN users, channel-hoping from RAI Sport to RAI2 at 2.00pm. Otherwise its on Eurosport, Flobikes and SBS for English-speaking coverage, the latter being an option for VPN users too.Should you watch from the start? Look to see which teams send riders in the early breakaway. As a rule the earlier you tune in the more frenetic the finale feels and you can have it playing in the background all day.Albenga comes with with 65km to go and is where the fight for position turns into a combat sport, its around 3.20pm.Womens Sanremo: theres more to watch with the finish at 2.30pm CET. The obvious pick is Lorena Wiebes who won last year and hasnt been beaten in a sprint since the year before that to the point where confident of this monopoly shes been working on versatility so should hope to resist attacks but all the more reason for teams not hypnotised by her to try on the Cipressa. For a more thorough preview, visit ProCyclingUK.com.The post Milan-Sanremo Preview first appeared on The Inner Ring.

Avona has launched the Velum SUB6, a new flagship-spec road bike that slips under the 6kg weight barrier. Built around a Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset and a carefully selected components package, the Velum SUB6 tipped our scales at 5.92kg in a size medium without pedals. Read more: Avona unveils the lightest full-suspension frame on the market alongside new road and gravel bikes Real-world performance The Avona Velum is pitched as the ultimate performance road bike. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler Rather than chasing headline aero gains, Avona says it developed the Velum focusing on reducing rolling resistance, drivetrain losses and overall system weight. It says these factors are more impactful on speed and riding efficiency, assuming the same rider aerodynamics are at play on the entire system. Jonas Mller, Avonas co-founder, says the brand analysed hundreds of real-world ride files to understand where riders spend time and produce power, concluding that climbing and variable terrain play a bigger role in overall performance than often assumed. Aerodynamics play a part in the performance mix, but Avona's co-founder says other factors make a larger difference to ride performance for most riders. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler Speaking to BikeRadar about the development of the Velum SUB6, Mller says: We measure performance using normalised power, time above critical power, and anaerobic work done. We then introduce hypothetical scenarios where we save weight from the assumed system, and then an aero drag reduction, a rolling resistance reduction, and drivetrain efficiency. The frame is made of high-modulus carbon, helping it to achieve a 798g claimed weight in a size 54cm, painted. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler Mller claims that improvements in the bikes aerodynamic drag arent as impactful on performance as those other factors. That said, aerodynamically, Mller says the Velum matches benchmark race bikes in wind-tunnel testing, despite accommodating wider tyres, reflecting a design brief that avoids sacrificing ride quality or rolling efficiency for marginal drag reductions. The Velum SUB6 in detail A QO Race SL carbon crankset supplements the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler The Velums frame weight is a claimed 798g (painted, in a size 54cm), but key to achieving the SUB6s 5.92kg weight are the new Faserwerk Bergreif SL wheels, which come in at a claimed 987g for the pair. These feature straight-pull Vonoa carbon spokes laced to lightweight NonPlus Primaro hubs, with a 35mm rim depth. These ultra-light wheels are central to the builds philosophy, with Avona arguing weight savings can deliver greater benefits than deeper aero profiles in many real-world scenarios particularly on climbs where riders spend more time at higher-power outputs. Vonoa spokes are a current favourite among brands building lightweight road wheels. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler Tyres also play a major role, with the SUB6 specced with Tufo Comtura Prima TT tyres, which Mller says were chosen specifically for their low weight and rolling resistance, offering efficiency gains across all terrain and rider speeds. The Shimano Dura-Ace drivetrain is supplemented by a QO Race SL carbon crankset, while the Repente Quasar CR2.0 saddle is intended to deliver long-ride comfort. Mller says this choice is reflective of the Velums broader emphasis on holistic performance, rather than saving a few grams at the expense of comfort. Beyond outright weight, the Velum platform also incorporates details aimed at improving real-world usability and speed. Despite being lightweight by most standards, the Velum SUB6 still sports an aerodynamic one-piece cockpit. Road Bike Connection Spring - Rupert Fowler This includes an aerodynamically optimised one-piece integrated cockpit, clearance for up to 35mm-wide tyres (measured), and offering tubeless setups as standard, which Mller says is most efficient in terms of rolling resistance. The Velum SUB6 is also supplied with a waxed chain to reduce friction losses. Mller says Avonas testing shows waxing to be the most efficient chain treatment, and reasons that its much easier to switch to oil-based lubes than to take an oiled chain and switch it to wax". The Avona Velum SUB6 costs 9,999 direct from Avona, with prices in the UK and US subject to customs duties and local taxes.

CyclistHow each team should try to win mens Milan-San RemoMilan-San Remo is here. One of cyclings most beautiful races dips south from Pavia and traverses the coast of the Ligurian Sea on the way to the Tre Capi, Cipressa and Poggio climax. Theres a lot of sightseeing to be done on the road to San Remo, and plans are hastily being made to try and stop two of the biggest names in cycling leaving everyone in their dust. But even Tadej Pogaar is still trying to figure out how to win this one. Fortunately for him, weve mapped out the best route to success at Milan-San Remo for all the top contenders. Related Posts Will Tadej Pogaar ever win Milan-San Remo? How to win Milan-San Remo Cycling Spring Classics 2026: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Milan-San Remo 2026 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists UAE Team Emirates XRGMarco Bertorello/AFP via Getty Images)Goal: Make it even harder on the Cipressa for Van der Poel.Milan-San Remo is one notable omission from Tadej Pogaars palmars. Thats not for lack of trying, rather the parcours being too easy despite totalling almost 300km in the saddle. This is because he thrives on terrain others suffer on, dancing away on climbs and staging solo attacks that seem to get longer each time. It wont be long before hes off in the neutral zone. Essentially the climbs havent been quite long or steep enough for his explosive attacks to drop Mathieu van der Poel. The race is pretty much pan flat until the Tre Capi climbs, where UAE Team Emirates XRG will begin to ramp up the pace. After that its down to just two climbs where Pogaar needs to create a gap: the Cipressa and the Poggio. The Cipressa is 5.6km with an average of 4.1%, but the dream spot for any potential attack comes at the 9% gradient around 3km in. Attacks on the Cipressa are often thwarted by the flat stretch between it and the Poggio, but it was decisive last year Pogaar whittle the race down to just him and Van der Poel with Filippo Ganna yo-yoing off the back. Pogaars 2025 attack was launched after a powerful pace set by Tim Wellens and a massive leadout from Jhonatan Narvez. Neither are here this year through injury, however he has Florian Vermeersch, Jan Christen and Brandon McNulty to put the pressure on as well as prodigy Isaac del Toro, who could act as either a leadout or to draw out Van der Poel with his own attacks. They could also try to throw a rider up the road to throw the cat among the pigeons.Pogaar recently set a new KOM on the Cipressa in training, with a time of 8min 51sec. This is six seconds quicker than the time he set in the race last year. Van der Poel is easily his biggest competitor for a Milan-San Remo title having two already and looks in peak form too despite a shorter offseason, and the year he didnt he helped teammate Jasper Philipsen win. If Pogaar arrives at the line with Van der Poel again, its over, so he has to drop him on the climbs.Alpecin-Premier TechSara Cavallini/Getty ImagesGoal: Have Mathieu van der Poel follow Pogaar and keep Jasper Philipsen in contentionOver the past two decades, Milan-San Remo has culminated in a sprint finish 75% of the time. Its primarily flat parcours has made it the Sprinters Monument, but the participation of Pogaar has changed that. Alpecin-Premier Tech have two strong cards to play though. Either follow Pogaar with Van der Poel and beat him in a sprint or keep a bigger group together for a bunch sprint with Jasper Philipsen.Van der Poels victories sandwich Philipsens victory in 2024. That year, despite the efforts of Pogaar, 12 riders would be in contention at the finish including several sprinters. Although Pogaar still managed to finish on the podium, he was never going to beat Philipsen in a sprint.Philipsens speed places him in the top rung of sprinters and can climb better than pretty much every other pure sprinter. Its hard and chaotic for the right plan to come together, which is why Van der Poel will be the first card to play as the peloton braces for a UAE Team Emirates XRG offensive. But if the likelihood of a sprint finish remains high and Philipsen can stay in the hunt, Van der Poel will pivot to domestique mode and Philipsen will be the favourite to take the victory.Ineos Grenadiers Dirk Waem/Belga Mag/AFP via Getty ImagesGoal: Clear the road for Filippo Ganna in time-trial modeSince Micha Kwiatkowskis podium in 2019, the only Ineos Grenadiers rider to place in the top ten of Milan-San Remo has been Filippo Ganna. Twice has the Italian seen the second step of the podium, both defeats at the hands of Van der Poel. In 2023, he was best of the rest in a small trio behind the winners solo victory, and in 2025, he time-trialled his way back into contention after being distanced on the Cipressa, but didnt have enough left to match the Dutchmans sprint.His massive time-trialling engine is likely the only way Ineos can win this one and theyre going to have to do things differently to get the better of Alpecin and UAE. Ganna going clear against Van der Poel and Pogaar is a long shot, so Ineos Grenadiers need to hit them beforehand by attacking. Attack, attack and attack some more. This will deplete Gannas teammates in the process, and potentially only impact the other squads domestiques and not the main men, but its better than waiting for the inevitable Pogaar move and hoping that Ganna can somehow come around Van der Poel. If Ganna can move first and Pogaar and Van der Poel look to each other to do the work, then its possible his world-beating TT ability can hold them off.While he has a fierce sprint, if he wants to win this race, hell do it by doing what he does best. Ineos Grenadiers also bring former winner Kwiatkowski, who won in that extremely close three-man sprint in 2017, puncheur Axel Laurance, young talent Josh Tarling and Classics rider turned sprinter Ben Turner.Lidl-TrekA.S.O/Billy CeustersGoal: Keep it togetherWelcome back, Mads Pedersen. The Danes season came to an abrupt halt as he broke his wrist and collarbone on his first race day of the year, but he is officially back for Milan-San Remo. Out of the three Monuments he typically participates in (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix) this is historically his weakest, having never made the podium. However the parcours should suit him to a T and hes never finished outside of the top seven, hes just been unfortunate with what the race has become with Pogaar.His best result came in 2024 when it came to a sprint. Its likely this is Lidl-Treks best method of seeing some form of success this time too. Teams need to work together to reduce the likelihood of a Pogaar/Van der Poel escapade and then throw everything at bringing them back if/when the attack happens. The parcours works in their favour and history does too, but will he have the form?Visma-Lease a BikeVisma-Lease a BikeGoal: Turn things around for Wout van AertWout van Aert has been struggling to rediscover his best form. The Belgians only Monument win is Milan-San Remo back in 2020 and hes had a disrupted start to his season this year. While its hard to see him challenging the favourites right now, it would be a welcome sight, and its Visma-Lease a Bikes only option now after Matthew Brennan had to pull out with illness.Van Aerts last Classics win came at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in 2024, but on his best day he is still an extremely powerful figure that can soldier on through tough terrain to get the job done. His best bet at victory here is probably comes in a small group sprint. The only issue with that is, his most recent performance in a finish like that at the recent Tirreno-Adriatico, he lost the sprint to Van der Poel, Giulio Pellizarri, Tobias Halland Johannessen and Clment Champoussin. Still, he has kilometres in the legs, performed well at Strade Bianche and theres less climbing here. Discount him at your peril.Visma-Lease a Bike need to work on not allowing Van der Poel and Pogaar to simply ride away. Easier said than done, but swarming around the front of the peloton when the Cipressa and Poggio hit to be disruptive wont hurt. They were disjointed approaching the Cipressa last year and wont want the same thing to happen again. With the teams lineup including Victor Campenaerts, Edoardo Affini, Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgenson, theyve got the right blend of skillsets to help Van Aert.Pinarello-Q36.5A.S.O./Charly LpezGoal: Keep Tom Pidcock in positionTom Pidcock almost pulled off a shock in 2024 when he went clear in the final kilometre of Milan-San Remo, chasing and overtaking Matteo Sobrero only to be caught in the last few hundred metres. Pidcock is one of the most explosive riders in the peloton, he has a strong sprint and is climbing better than ever. He won Milano-Torino earlier in the week so has the form too.It might have been 200m too far for him in 2024, however a podium spot feels up for grabs as long as Pinarello-Q36.5 keep him in a good position. He was thwarted by a badly timed mechanical in 2025, so wasnt close to where he shouldve been on the Cipressa, if he can be at or near the front over the final climbs, he has both the descending ability to potentially go clear coming off the Poggio and the sprint to contest the finish in a group.EF Education-EasyPostA.S.O./Billy CeustersGoal: Embrace the chaosEF Education-EasyPost know how to light up a race. Their DNA is attacking, and when theres less structure and more ability to embrace the chaos thats when they thrive. The final 30km of Milan-San Remo is exactly that. Madness.Kasper Asgreen might be past his Classics-winning best of 2021, when he won E3 Saxo Bank Classic and the Tour of Flanders, but hes a wise head to lead the team. They have strong puncheurs in Mikkel Honor and Harry Sweeny, but their best chance is a Michael Valgren escape. The Dane has had a tough few years but hes back to winning ways, taking a stage of Tirreno-Adriatico a week ago and riding to a strong 13th at Strade Bianche.In case of a sprint finish, the team have Estonian Madis Mihkels and Luke Lamperti. The American finished in the top ten at both Omloop Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne before winning a stage at Paris-Nice, but he finished 108th in his only San Remo appearance and Mihkels best is 66th, so chaos is certainly Plan A.Decathlon-CMA CGMCon Chronis/Getty ImagesGoal: Deploy one of the worlds finest leadout trainsThis rejuvenation of Decathlon-CMA CGM into a potential superteam is quite something. Their presence in the sprints has been refreshing, spearheaded so far by Tobias Lund Andresen, who has won a stage at both the Tour Down Under and Tirreno-Adriatico this season. The Dane also raced to sixth at Omloop and seventh at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne as the best-placed rider in the squad. It will be a tough task to make it to the finish of Milan-San Remo in the front group, but if he makes it he has a real chance against the likes of Philipsen, Pedersen and Van Aert.Outside of a sprint, they have Paul Lapeira and Jordan Labrosse climbing well for potential wildcards depending on how the finale plays out. Related Posts Will Tadej Pogaar ever win Milan-San Remo? How to win Milan-San Remo Cycling Spring Classics 2026: Race dates, Monuments, cobbles and live TV guide Milan-San Remo 2026 preview: Routes, favourites, how to watch and start lists As for the restGoal 1: Work for a sprint finishHistory over the past two decades dictates the race ends in a sprint finish more often than not, which is why Van der Poel and Pogaar ruffle some feathers. If teams like Decathlon-CMA CGM, Soudal-QuickStep, NSN Cycling or even Unibet-Rose Rockets want to do something, this is their best chance.It calls for somewhat of a mass effort to ensure the aforementioned two dont stay away, getting your ducks in order before the Cipressa and keeping attentive to any antsy movement off the front.Goal 2: Do a Matej Mohori?One of the most surprising Milan-San Remo victories in recent memory was Matej Mohoris 2022 victory. He jumped away on the descent of the Poggio with the help of a dropper post and never looked back. Even a dropped chain couldnt thwart him. Jasper Stuyven won in similar fashion in 2021, only just holding off the sprinters. If theres a big group at the top of the Poggio and your team doesnt have a sprinter, its time to attack.Surprises are always possible in cycling, especially with the best half an hour of the pro season. Will 2026 deliver another one?The post How each team should try to win mens Milan-San Remo appeared first on Cyclist.

For all the focus on Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, the shape of Milano-Sanremo often leaves space for a different kind of contender to emerge. It is a race that rarely rewards the strongest rider outright, and just as often punishes those who cannot convert strength into position at the de...

Police say anyone caught under the influence on a bike would likely "pose a serious risk of traffic danger if they drive cars as well"