“Del Toro is riding strongly, but Tadej is their clear leader” - Mathieu van der Poel sees UAE’s Milano-Sanremo threat taking shape at Tirreno-Adriatico

Mathieu van der Poel believes the dramatic gravel finale of Stage 2 at Tirreno-Adriatico offered an early glimpse of the tactical battle that could unfold later this month at Milano-Sanremo.

The Alpecin-Premier Tech leader powered to victory in San Gimignano after launching his attack on the rain-soaked gravel sector before narrowly beating Isaac del Toro and Giulio Pellizzari in a tense uphill sprint. Yet beyond the stage result itself, the performance of Del Toro particularly caught the Dutchman’s attention as the peloton began to look ahead to the first Monument of the season.

“Del Toro is riding strongly, but Tadej is their clear leader,” Van der Poel said in conversation with Het Laatste Nieuws.

The chaotic approach to the gravel sector in Tuscany forced teams to fight fiercely for position, a situation that often mirrors the frantic run into the Cipressa at Milano-Sanremo.

Positioning proved decisive once again. Van der Poel entered the sterrato near the front before launching the acceleration that split the race, while several general classification contenders were caught behind crashes or poor placement in the bunch.

Matteo Jorgenson, who had been among those reacting to the initial move, crashed on the slippery gravel, while Thymen Arensman also fell later in the sector as the race fractured behind the leading trio.

Del Toro, however, was able to respond to the decisive moment, bridging across to Van der Poel before Pellizzari joined the pair to form the group that ultimately decided the stage.

That ability to follow and contribute to such a high-intensity move is precisely why Van der Poel believes the young Mexican could play an important supporting role for Tadej Pogacar when the peloton arrives in Sanremo.

Last year, Pogacar’s team attempted to blow the race apart on the Cipressa with a powerful lead-out designed to set up the Slovenian’s attack. That move relied heavily on Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narvaez, two riders who will not be present this year because of injury.

Their absence means UAE Team Emirates - XRG will need different riders to control the climb and raise the tempo if they attempt a similar strategy.

Van der Poel believes Del Toro could be central to that plan. “Knowing what happened on the Cipressa last year with such a big lead out from his team for Tadej, Del Toro could play a big role there this year and make the climb even harder.”

At the same time, the Dutchman stressed that Milano-Sanremo rarely follows a script. “I already said last year that the outcome mostly depends on details.”

Even the strongest team in the peloton cannot fully dictate how the race unfolds, Van der Poel pointed out, highlighting how wind conditions on the Cipressa can dramatically alter the tactical possibilities. “If there’s a headwind on the Cipressa that Saturday, even Team UAE won’t be able to do what they did last year.”

For now, the Dutchman’s focus remains on completing the Italian stage race before turning fully toward the Monument. “What is certain is that Tadej is incredibly strong and his team holds the key to Sanremo,” Van der Poel added. “But there are still ten days until then, and a lot can happen. First, we need to finish this stage race and stay healthy.”

For now, Tirreno-Adriatico continues to offer clues about the shape of the peloton ahead of the spring’s first Monument.