"I was lying on Pogacar’s bike" - New details emerge from World Champion's Milano-Sanremo crash
Cycling
The 2026 Milano-Sanremo edition was one of the most exciting in recent years and the comeback of Tadej Pogacar could be seen as an absolute highlight of the spring. The World Champion had to overcome a high-speed crash right before Cipressa; and the rider who landed on top of his bike Tim Marsman now shares his insight.
The run-up to Cipressa is extremely fast and with a fresh peloton taking it on, the tension is sky-high into the decisive climb of the race. This year, near the front of the peloton, a crash took out Tadej Pogacar and Wout Van Aert - whilst Mathieu van der Poel was also in some way involved.
That is because it happened right near the front. Not only did van der Poel come down, but several of his teammates. Tim Marsman was one of them, and the footage of the crash shows an Alpecin-Premier Tech rider laying on the road right next to the Slovenian.
Unknowningly, he had been part of what was one of the major stories of the week. “I read a day after Milano-Sanremo that Pogacar’s bike had broken in that crash, and I was lying on Pogacar’s bike,” Marsman shared with Wielerflits at the Tour of Turkey.
“I was in good form that day too. That is evident from the moment you fall, and with whom: Pogacar, [Wout] Van Aert, Mathieu [van der Poel] himself. You are in the right place at that moment, but it is a shame that it happens. I think I really could have done something for Mathieu. But I do think I can draw confidence from this for the coming years.”
Whilst it's not overly clear, TV footage confirms Tim Marsman crashed right with Tadej Pogacar
A new life in the World Tour
The Dutchman didn't sustain meaningful injuries but found himself surrounded by the sport's best at that particular moment, where he was on the ground with the winners of all four monuments of the season thus far.
That is certainly quite the story for the 25-year old, who was signed from continental level onto Alpecin this winter. “It took some adjusting, but actually everything is going very well. I am very happy about that. It is a step up from the continental level, but it is just going well. You notice that you are making rapid progress and that it is getting easier and easier.”
“The biggest adjustment, strangely enough, is the traveling," he describes through the lens of a World Tour debutant.
"In the WorldTour, you are away from home much more. At the beginning of the year to Australia, Oman, Paris-Nice… You are home much less. That takes some getting used to. And the level. Everyone can ride a bike, everyone gets paid to ride a bike".
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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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- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
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