"I’ve trained with Tadej a few times this week and he’s really fired up" - Vermeersch confirms Pogacar is ready for Cipressa assault in Sanremo

Milano-Sanremo is right around the corner, and it is a race where climbing and endurance capacity are just as important as positioning. Hence, even the teams that want to make a difference uphill need a lineup with classics specialists and heavyweight riders. In UAE Team Emirates - XRG's case, Tadej Pogacar can heavily benefit from the presence of Florian Vermeersch (formerly of Lotto Dstny).

The Emirari team revealed their lineup for the first monument of the season, where Isaac del Toro, Jan Christen and Brandon McNulty were designated pieces to make the race hard on the Cipressa, where the World Champion is expected to attack.

Vermeersch has the legs to do quite a lot in such a race, but it is positioning towards the Cipressa which is crucial, and where his role will be in mainly. That is because the approach is technical and extremely fast; there is a pinch point in the bottom of the climb; and the climb in itself is likely to be attacked within the first five or six minutes, meaning the pace should be anaerobic the whole way up.

“I’ve only ridden Sanremo once, and on Friday I went to Italy on my own to get the approach with the Capi firmly in my head again," Vermeersch said in words to Het Laatste Nieuws. “In terms of horsepower, I don’t think we fall short of last year’s selection. We don’t need to stand on the start line with any less confidence".

The absence of the injured Tim Wellens and Jhonatan Narváez is seen as a big blow, as these are the two men who worked for Pogacar on the Cipressa in 2025, but the team has looked to replace them. However, whether the tactic will be the same is something that will remain to be seen this Saturday afternoon.

"I can’t reveal our tactics, but I’m not giving away any big secrets when I say my role involves guiding Tadej and the climbers into a good position over the first Capi and towards the foot of the Cipressa. After that, it’s up to our climbing train to fly," he assures.

The Belgian hopes the weather is on the team's side, but it's harder to make a bigger difference than 12 months ago. “If you want to make the race hard, a tailwind is perfect because riders in the wheel have less of an advantage. Maybe it will turn in the right direction".

But the Cipressa is the key. Poggio does not have the gradients to drop someone like Mathieu van der Poel, who has equal climbing ability for such a shallow climb; whilst the penultimate ascent of the day is close enough to the finish to maintain a gap to the finish in the Slovenian's terms.

The key is to climb it as fast as possible, and ideally, beat the record of last year. “It’s very possible. We’ll do everything to get Tadej into a good position, and then his legs and our tactics will do the talking. All I can say is that I’ve trained with Tadej a few times this week and he’s really fired up," he confirmed.