Easy Cipressa the key for Tadej Pogacar to win Milano-Sanremo? Caleb Ewan's advice to the World Champion
Cycling
Winning Milano-Sanremo has become a prime objective for Tadej Pogacar over the past few years, and into the 2025 edition UAE Team Emirates - XRG are all-in to conquer the Italian monument. However, whilst a hard race on the climbs before the Poggio seems to be on paper the best strategy for the World Champion, former contender Caleb Ewan has advised otherwise.
“The mistake Pogacar made in the past, in my opinion, was that he tried to make it too hard on the Cipressa,” Ewan said in the Geraint Thomas Cycling Podcast. The 'Pocket Rocket', now part of INEOS Grenadiers, won't be at the start, but he has ridden the race in contention for victory on several occasions and believes the best strategy isn't to move in the penultimate climb.
The answer, for the Australian, is not a hard Cipressa, for a very good reason: “That made the race between the Cipressa and Poggio super easy. More riders were dropped, which meant the leaders had fewer helpers. While the lead-out to the Poggio is normally full throttle. I remember once having to put 500 watts in my wheel, even before the Poggio started.”
INEOS will be backing up Filippo Ganna who is on stellar form and will be a very difficult opponent for Pogacar, but nevertheless everyone's eyes will be on the rainbow jersey and his team who are set to try and break the race. A potential strategy could be that of hoping for the strongest possible pace in the minutes leading up to the Poggio di Sanremo.
“The riders he had to drop started the last climb fresher. His best chance is to take it easy over the Cipressa and keep as many teammates with him as possible. Then they can do a huge lead-out to the Poggio," he argues.
He talked directly about the possibility of Pogacar attacking Cipressa itself. “That section (after the climb, ed.) is so easy in the wheel. If you attack, you are tired when you reach the foot of the Poggio. While the riders behind you are still relatively fresh and can sprint up. Moreover, after the Cipressa there are always teammates present to chase. Especially because of the riders who can climb and sprint, like Van der Poel. On such short climbs it is difficult to make a difference with them.”
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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