PAVIA – Voices from the mixed zone of the Milan-SanremoIt is strange, as every year, not being able to attend the presentation of the riders and being confined behind the stage on which they are presented. The logistics of the race require it and even if you want to give up interviews to enjoy the scene, with our pass we still couldn't access the front partPrivilege reserved for influencers and YouTubers and not for journalists, because that's the way the world is now.
When the champions begin to parade, their voices compose a puzzle that outlines the eve of the race and the tension that is mountingThere are debutants like Alexander Borgo, who is on tenterhooks for the first monument of his career, and veterans like ciccone, who has good legs and also discovered as a surprise that Mads Pedersen will also be part of the match. There are teams with two cards to play and those who, out of necessity, rely on just one solution.
Van der Poel's goal: follow Pogacar
Van der Poel is at the start with Philipsen: They both won the Sanremo and having that top sprinter with them protects the Dutchman from headaches., in case it ends in a sprint. He worked hard and even harder at the Tirreno-Adriatico to respond to Pogacar's broadsides and perhaps relaunch as he did last year on the Poggio.
«Attacking on Cipressa is certainly not something that happens every day – he says – so it was It's really fantastic and spectacular to be able to do it with those two (Pogacar and Ganna, ed.) last year. It's not a given that it will be that easy this time. Last year the conditions were perfect, but it doesn't always go the same way, we'll see how it goes. One day Pogacar will win this race, he's so strong... Is he stronger than me this year? It sure looks very strong, but it was last year too.It will be our job to keep up with him. In any case, I feel ready.
«Tirreno gave me the answers I was looking for. Since when UAE and Tadej started running like this, the dynamics of running changedIf a small group breaks away, the strongest riders will probably be there. What happened last year could happen again."
Pogacar: luck and Del Toro next
Pogacar and his blond hair show confidence. While speaking to the media, the Slovenian bounces on his prodigious legs, which suffer from being still and stiff.He answers in English and then in Slovenian. He displays the naturalness we've come to expect, and we watch him as he speaks. He knows he has to do something miraculous to get everyone off his back. and we are sure that the presence of Del Toro It won't be a simple domestique. The Mexican is capable of winning the race, and it's impossible they won't use him to hunt down and tire out their rivals.
"If I win? To succeed. I will have to do even better than last year – says the world champion – maybe even with a bit of luck on my side. It doesn't make much difference to me whether I attack on the Poggio or the Cipressa; it will depend on the race situation at that moment. We are starting with a strong team.
"With a Del Toro in great shape, so we have a few tricks up our sleeves to play. Isaac will be very important to me, but so will the whole team. The more they work for me, the more energy I can save. I love the duels with Mathieu, he's a real rider. And so is Mads Pedersen. They are honest riders, they always give their all».
Ganna, the double management of the final
Ganna speaks little, during the days of the Tirreno he spoke with greater enthusiasm and you can tell by looking at him that he is super concentratedWinning the Sanremo, he told Ciro Scognamiglio of the Gazzetta dello Sport, it would mean entering history. Dario Cioni, his mentor during his best moments, follows him like a shadow. Pippo has arrived even better than last year and the ascent tests carried out at Tirreno they outline the scenario of a Sanremo that passes through the resistance to the shots of the two devilish ones with which last year he arrived to compete in the Sanremo. In the Ineos Grenadiers there doesn't seem to be a reserve card: we're running for him.
«The Cipressa is the most stressful point for me – he repeats – Keeping Pogacar and Van der Poel last year was one of the most intense efforts of my careerIn a race like this, for me there is no ideal development. Everything has to go the right way and be ready for the direction the race will take, with the ability to manage the situation that will arise. We've worked hard to be in top form when the race will be decided.
«The finale? If it goes towards a bunch sprint, I wouldn't be comfortable and maybe I would try to anticipate. If it were an ending like last year's, I hope to be more lucid to better manage those decisive last seconds."
Van Aert and the team: we run on defense
Van Aert is one of the most acclaimed, but the Italian campaign continues (after Strade Bianche and Tirreno) without the odds. It's not yet the Wout of previous seasons: Injuries have undermined his confidence and slowed his performances, but in a race with few climbs, will he also be able to play his cards? Brennan's absence deprives Visma Lease a Bike of a second card: Even in the event of a sprint, it will be up to Wout to show his face.
"Of course, it's a shame Brennan isn't here, because with him on the team we would have been a little stronger. Does that change much for me? Not really. In any case, I would have been one of our leaders. Not all the pressure would fall on the shoulders of our young talent, ma Tactically, we could have approached things differently.
«Everyone expects that the UAE I want to take control of the race on the Cipressa. That climb is still a bit tougher than the Poggio, so there's a better chance for Tadej (Pogacar, ed.) to do his part. The first goal for me and the team is therefore to be ready there to be able to follow it».
Pedersen, the surprise effect
Finally there is Mads pedersen announced by a statement in which the word “surprise” was used with the right emphasis. After the wrist fracture suffered at Valencia, the Dane trained hard and hard, first on the rollers and then on the road and it's great that he chose to throw himself into the fray, ahead of the times and trying to gain in condition and attitude to the race in view of the Northern Classics. With him and Ciccone, Lidl-Trek will be able to play a double card, in case Mads doesn't have the legs to handle the attacks of Pogacar and Van der Poel.
«To tell the truth – he says with a plural that also hints at the emotion of having landed like this – It wasn't in our plans to participate in SanremoBut we trained very well and wanted to see concrete results to have a chance of achieving a good result in this race. After some intense training this week, we think it was a good decision to start running again., attack the number and regain confidence with the competition.
«Of course, the doctors and my coach also evaluated how and when I could return. Decisions were made many investigations on me and my hand and the doctor is 100 percent convinced that I can get back to racing. It's really fantastic to be able to start again and it's also a good approach to the Belgian Classics."
