00:00We're going to go, I'll break it. 8. Well, stretch away via Fubariani, CSF, Fenerbahce,
00:29Fanzani, up the road with two. They've got Kivivokalan to ride for today, he's in really
00:36good form. You know, X-Mobility just marking this move, and Lotto as well.
00:42The steadiest race until the ridiculously explosive finale, but in terms of managing
00:47your resources, you have to think about it. There you go, a bit of a smile there.
00:51Marchellucci sitting on his wheel, so if you want to ride that quickly, well, I'll just sit behind
00:56He's just staying calm, he's just saying, wait. But also the others are like, well, why should we wait?
01:00We've built this lead, we want to build as much of a lead as we can.
01:05We've seen it with Il Trattore as well. Tim Wellens trying to keep warm.
01:17That's the first thing he's done that hasn't involved just riding for about an hour and a half.
01:23And he pops his shades back on.
01:25Watch the results and the highlights.
01:27An enormous bit of cake in his mouth.
01:29Look at the size of that cake.
01:31Because he locked you with that, doesn't it?
01:35Anyway, sorry, yes.
01:36I'm just wondering what the cake is. Is it a big bit of rice cake?
01:39I want to know how hard it is.
01:41Oh, it's hard.
01:42And quite dry as well.
01:43Yeah, lethargy. And Dillier just rode back a little bit too quickly.
01:49But very, very interesting.
01:51But they're sewing it back together again.
01:53And oh, there's a little bit of a move going here.
01:55This looks like Tosh van der Sande.
01:57Kit of Filippo Ganna.
01:58He can climb like Ganna can.
02:00He proved that at the UAE Tour, didn't he?
02:02And he can sprint.
02:03Sprint to a second place apparently.
02:05Yeah, I mean, I wasn't commentating directly on that race.
02:09But what was that?
02:10It was Matt Pedersen, wasn't it?
02:11He pushed super close, wasn't it?
02:13It was almost a photo finish.
02:14I think it was a photo finish, wasn't it?
02:15Yeah, it was very close.
02:17No, I mean, he is very similar.
02:19So is this the start of something big now?
02:21Something big, sustained and different from UAE Team Emirates.
02:25Communication there from Dominovak to the rider who's working on the front.
02:29Vegard Starker-Lengen, who is...
02:31If he does only gap in by four or five seconds,
02:34it's probably a good idea for him to wait.
02:35Because they're clearly the two strongest here.
02:37But Weisswasser couldn't quite respond to that stinging acceleration of Macho Lucey.
02:42It was now solo and clear for one of the invited teams into this race.
02:45And they really are making an impression.
02:47Ben Swift is carousing on his wheel.
02:49Takes the apex of that corner, taking the perfect racing line.
02:52Still hugging the inside, forcing riders to go round the outside in the wind.
02:56It's a great riding here by Swift.
02:59Very disciplined performance from Ineos Grenadiers,
03:01who've held Ghana perfectly positioned with still three support riders as well.
03:07Possibly four towards the front.
03:09Yeah, he's got Tobias Voss there, isn't he, as well?
03:11I think Ben Turner's not too far away.
03:14Shooting down and onto the climb.
03:16He's made it, Martin Macho Lucey,
03:18but he's made it by no more than about eight bike lengths
03:20as EF Education Easypost take things up now.
03:23Yes, Mikel Honoré on the front for EF Education Easypost,
03:26fully aeroed up and driving that pace.
03:28Good riding by EF Education Easypost.
03:30Perfect. Oh, there's been a crash.
03:32Is anyone down? There's a little delay there.
03:34Nils Pollitt, who's done his turn, caught out at the back.
03:37I'm trying to see whether there are any big-name riders.
03:39So there's a confidence rider down and down hard by the looks of it.
03:42And so too is that rider, Aurelien Paré-Paintre,
03:44from Decathlon AG to Alamondial,
03:46who's been caught out there and gone down.
03:48Tim Wellens on the front.
03:49Yeah, there's that little pothole on the left-hand side.
03:52But this is the job that we've seen Tim Wellens do
03:54over the last couple of years.
03:56So, Wellens, where are they?
03:58Pogacar.
04:11But you do get the sense that this is something
04:14he's going to try and launch Tadej Pogacar in second.
04:16Here we go! It's the Cipresa attack
04:19that everyone has longed to try and see.
04:21And it's Pogacar who opens things up,
04:23followed all the way by Philippe Ogana,
04:25followed by Romain Gregoire and Mathieu Van Der Poel.
04:55OK, if we want to win this one,
05:12we know how fickle this race can be
05:14in terms of opportunities.
05:16And to make it more of a...
05:18He goes straight away!
05:20Just as we thought he might.
05:21It's one of the steepest sections here.
05:23Tadej Pogacar cannot wait.
05:24Now, he's going to have to do this time and time again
05:27to shake off Mathieu Van Der Poel.
05:29He'll know that, so that is not the last of his attacks.
05:32Philippe Ogana straight away, same pattern as the Cipresa,
05:35slips into time trial mode just to stay at his own pace
05:38and ride himself back into contention.
05:40Did you hear the braking?
05:41They're braking on that corner.
05:42They're carrying so much pace.
05:43You've been evilly matched on this climb.
05:47What a battle.
05:48Oh, he goes!
05:49Just as you predicted he might.
05:50Van Der Poel counters!
05:52Pogacar!
05:53Pogacar has gone so deep now.
05:55Can he shut the door again on Van Der Poel?
05:57Or is that the winning move?
05:59Van Der Poel goes again out of the saddle.
06:01A brief little acceleration.
06:02Pogacar responding, though.
06:04The arm turns, Ned.
06:06Ogana comes back.
06:08500 metres to go and he is in the mix.
06:10Now, one breath and the Italian has to hit them hard,
06:13hit them long and get away
06:14and confuse the pair who thought they had this race between them.
06:18Mathieu Van Der Poel, then, from the front.
06:20They're all lining up on the man with the fastest finish.
06:22But don't forget what a kick Filippo Ganna has.
06:26Pogacar has it all to do to try and win this race.
06:29He is on the back foot now, the world champion,
06:31as Van Der Poel looks round and they slow right up.
06:34500 metres to go.
06:36Checks again, Van Der Poel.
06:37Ganna, they're easing right up.
06:39Some other riders could yet come into this.
06:41We don't know where that group behind is.
06:43They're out of sight for now.
06:44Pogacar playing a very, very cool game.
06:47Drops right off to try and launch a long one.
06:49Van Der Poel on the left-hand side of the road.
06:51Ganna on the right.
06:52Pogacar winding it up.
06:53But Van Der Poel goes long.
06:55That's a risk.
06:56That is a big risk.
06:57He's opened up his sprint over 300 metres from the line.
07:00Ganna trying to shut it.
07:01And Pogacar is on the wheel of the Italian.
07:04All three of these riders could win from here.
07:06But Van Der Poel holds them off.
07:08Ganna in second place.
07:09Pogacar in third.
07:11That was a race for the ages.
07:13You'll have to wait a very, very long time
07:16to see a better Milan-San Remo for men than that.
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