Cycling
Milan-Sanremo: Slovenian Mohoric wins
(San Remo) A Slovenian won for the first time Milan-Sanremo but it was Matej Mohoric who won the victory on Saturday in the first great classic of the season after a great number in the descent of Poggio.
Tadej Pogacar, his compatriot winner of the Tour de France, took 5th place in the “classicissima”, 293 kilometers long.
On the line, Mohoric was 2 seconds ahead of Frenchman Anthony Turgis and Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel.
Belgian Wout van Aert, closely marked, finished in the first group, in 8th place.
Mohoric broke away 4 kilometers from the finish, in the winding descent of Poggio. The Slovenian, one of the great specialists of the exercise, came close to going off the road but widened a gap of 5-6 seconds before benefiting from the mutual surveillance of the favorites in the streets of Sanremo.
Pogacar, who attacked four times in the Poggio, could not provoke the decision in this last difficulty and tipped over the top in a small group of four (with Kragh Andersen, van der Poel and van Aert), with a few meters ahead only of Mohoric and the first group.
“I’ve been thinking about this race all winter,” said Mohoric (27), a former junior and U23 world champion.
The double stage winner of the Tour de France last year, who runs for the Bahrain team, had never won a great classic.
In this 113th edition, raced in good weather and a favorable wind in the final, the breakaway of 8 riders launched from the start (Gidich, Zakharov, Rivi, Sevilla, Conca, Tonelli, Tagliani, Zurita) counted up to 7 minutes early.
The Italian Filippo Conca, crippled with cramps, dismounted after 260 kilometers and the last survivors, the Italians Alessandro Tonelli and Samuele Rivi, held on until the approach of Poggio, 9 kilometers from the finish. .
“I knew this race could suit me, that it would be my day,” responded Mohoric. “I took risks in the descent but that’s what allowed me to go for the victory. It was my only chance, provided I avoided the error”.
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Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.