Filippo Ganna: "Everything depends on how you get up on the Poggio, winning is also a matter of luck"

Filippo Ganna has not yet managed to break into the Top50 of Milano-Sanremo. This makes him a wildcard, as he focuses on a result this Saturday in the Via Roma, but is aware that he needs to tackle several challenges in order to be in contention for a result near the top.

“If you fall behind on the Cipressa, it becomes very difficult. You then have to make a double effort and you cannot recover from that," Ganna told Gazzetta dello Sport. "This year it is important that I can cope better with the hills. Until now I can never compete with the best riders in Milan-San Remo.”

Now with five editions of La Primavera under his belt he knows better how to race. INEOS Grenadiers was planned to support Tom Pidcock here but in his absence several riders should have freedom, including the former time-trial World Champion. He isn't an explosive rider, but the slight gradients of the Poggio and his powerhouse status makes him a very dangerous rider in the final kilometers.

“First I have to be the first to get to the top of the Cipressa and the Poggio and only then will I be able to see whether I can attack immediately or not. It is difficult to attack first,” he is aware. On the climbs the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe are expected to take the reigns, but the Italian looks to be close to the front at the top.

Asked about Tadej Pogacar, he reponded: “Nothing changes for me now that he is riding so well. We all have ups and downs. I keep calm about it because we all have two legs and two arms. We'll see how the course goes. Everything depends on how you get up on the Poggio, winning is also a matter of luck," Ganna concluded.