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Here are the reactions from the top riders following Saturday’s stunning edition of Milan-San Remo won by Mathieu van der Poel.
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), 2nd
On his first career monument podium:
“I’m a little bit disappointed, but at the same time, I also feel happy. I didn’t do anything wrong. I have some of my best power ever pedaled a bike.
“I collect a lot of second places, but this is a special one. I have to thank my team today, they supported me all day. Yesterday I heard that I would be one of the leaders today, and I felt that way all day today.”
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), 4th
On his attack on the Poggio:
“No regrets. I had one goal today and that was to attack after the team’s pull. The team did a perfect job today. I have to thank them a lot to set up this attack. I was not strong enough to go solo, and then Van der Poel attacked. I could not follow, he was too strong. I was dead to the finish. I know it’s going to be hard. I have high hopes for coming years for this race.
“Maybe next year I will do something else. Last year I attacked four times, this year just once. Maybe I was just not strong enough to go solo to the top. It was a very strong effort from the whole team. Mathieu was sprinting at the top and I was already dead from my turn. On the downhill he was also better than us out of the corners, you could see he was sprinting. The three of us, we could not do the same as him. The best one won today, and the best man will win in Flanders.”
Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), 16th
On trying to hang on:
“Of course I’m disappointed with this result. Like every year, Milano-Sanremo is a big goal of mine. I’ve been close twice and I felt really good today. My teammates guided me perfectly towards the Cipressa and also during the run-in towards the Poggio, I could count on Jasper and Maxim.
“Maybe I started the Poggio a little too far back to really make an impact on the race. With the brutal pace on the climb it was incredibly difficult to move up and just like several other sprinters in the group, I had to hope for it to come back to a sprint. Unfortunately, it didn’t.”