World champion Tadej Pogacar further cemented his place among cycling's greats when he beat Tom Pidcock by half a wheel to win the 298-km Milan–San Remo race for the first time on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Slovenian, who won his fourth Tour de France title last year, shook off a crash involving several riders during a climb that left him with torn shorts and scrapes on his leg to outwit Briton Pidcock in the final stretch.
Belgium's Wout van Aert, who was also involved in the crash 32km from the finish line, finished third after his attack in the last kilometre was foiled by Pidcock and Pogacar, who sped ahead of the peloton for a two-rider photo finish.
"Not the most beautiful because I'll be licking the wounds. But I'm just really happy to take the win," said UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar, who has now won four of the five "monuments", cycling's most prestigious one-day events, with Paris-Roubaix the exception.
"For a second I thought it was all over but luckily I was quickly back on the bike," he added.
Saturday's victory moves him level with Roger de Vlaeminck into equal second on the list of most Monument victories, with 11. Only the legendary Eddy Merckx has more, with 19.
"You never know after such a long race but I knew one thing, that Tom's a super-fast guy. He looked super good through all the race," twice world champion Pogacar added.
That Pinarello-Q36.5's Pidcock was the only man able to match Pogacar was highly impressive, especially when even Van der Poel – winner of two of the past three editions – cracked.
The 26-year-old double Olympic mountain bike champion came into the race in form, having won Milano-Torino on Wednesday, and was seeking to become only the third British cyclist to win this famous race after Tom Simpson and Mark Cavendish.
In the end, only an all-time great could deny him.
