“Last year, Pogacar unlocked a race scenario we hadn’t seen for 30 years” - INEOS braced for UAE explosion on Cipressa at Milano-Sanremo

For INEOS Grenadiers, the question ahead of Milano-Sanremo is no longer whether Tadej Pogacar will try to break the race on the Cipressa, but how to be ready when it happens.

That shift in thinking was made explicit by sport director Leonardo Basso, who outlined a plan built around the expectation that UAE Team Emirates - XRG will once again force the race open long before the traditional finale.

“Last year, Pogacar unlocked a race scenario with his strong attack on the Cipressa. We hadn’t seen this for 30 years,” Basso explained in a preview on the team’s official website.

That moment has not just been remembered. It has been studied, anticipated, and built into INEOS’ approach for this year’s race.

The key difference now is that Pogacar’s move is no longer a surprise. “We have predicted the tactics our competitors will make,” Basso said. “We expect a super strong UAE that wants to attack and be aggressive on the Cipressa.”

That expectation changes everything. If every team is preparing for the same moment, then the run-in to the Cipressa becomes just as decisive as the climb itself. “Every team knows this, so the run into the Cipressa is likely to be more chaotic than last year.”

That line fits with the broader picture that has emerged across the peloton. Pogacar has already shown he can make Milano-Sanremo selective earlier than tradition suggests. The challenge now is not just surviving that move, but arriving in a position to respond to it in the first place.

INEOS have built their entire team around that requirement.

Rather than a simple leader-support structure, Basso described a phased plan stretching from the early kilometres to the Via Roma. “Connor Swift and Jack Haig will act as support after the Turchino downhill to the Capi,” he said. “It is a chaotic phase, and we need to set up the position a bit earlier.”

From there, responsibility shifts again. “After, we have Michal Kwiatkowski, Axel Laurance and Ben Turner for the phase on Capi into the Cipressa.”

And finally, the decisive pairing. “After, we have Filippo Ganna and Josh Tarling from the bottom of the Cipressa to the finish in theory.”

It is a structure designed not just to protect a leader, but to deliver him precisely to the point where the race is expected to explode.

Within that structure, Basso highlighted two riders as particularly important to the plan. “Kwiato has, of course, won the race before, and he will be our road captain,” he said. “I think he is one of the best, or if not the best, in the group for understanding Milano-Sanremo and all the small details around the race.”

That experience is not just about legs, but decision-making. “Sometimes we need a rider in the race to communicate and make the call, as we can’t always see what is happening in the bunch. He will be fundamental.”

There was also praise for new arrival, Jack Haig, whose early performances have already earned trust within the team. “Jack surprised us, to be honest,” Basso said. “He has raced super well in our system… he will be super useful in this kind of role to set us up in the right position as he really understands racing dynamics. He will be fundamental in the team dynamics.”

At the centre of it all remains Filippo Ganna, once again positioned as INEOS’ main card in a race that increasingly suits his profile.

The Italian has already shown he can survive Pogacar’s accelerations and still contest the finish, most notably in last year’s edition. The challenge now is to arrive at that moment in the best possible condition. That is where the rest of the team comes in.

But Basso also left the door open for a second option. “For Josh, he is also such a value for this team. He was flying at Paris-Nice, so it is fantastic to have him on board without the pressure. His legs are there.”

Tarling’s role is less defined, but potentially just as important. “We’re just going into the Cipressa with him and seeing what opportunities the race offers. The beauty of Sanremo is that there are thousands of scenarios that can happen, and it is fantastic to have one more card to play in the team.”

Beyond positioning and tactics, Basso also pointed to a more subtle factor that underpins everything in Milano-Sanremo. “Fuelling is fundamental,” he said. “The race is sort of divided into two parts - the first from Milano to the sea, and the other from the sea to the finish.”

That distinction reflects the unique nature of the race. The opening hours demand restraint, while the final phase requires total commitment. “It’s important for us to keep the gas in the tank on the first part, and be ready to spend everything, more than everything, on the last part - Capi, Cipressa and Poggio.”

In a race where Pogacar is expected to push the pace earlier than ever, that balance becomes even more delicate. Arrive too far forward too early, and the cost may be paid later. Arrive too late, and the opportunity is gone before it begins.

If Pogacar’s move last year changed the race, then the knock-on effect is a peloton that is no longer reacting, but anticipating. That creates a different kind of uncertainty.

INEOS know what is coming. So does UAE. So does every other team lining up on Saturday. But knowing the moment does not make it easier to control. “Sanremo is an unpredictable race,” Basso said. “We have to be ready to change and adapt our plan based on the race conditions.”

That flexibility may ultimately prove just as important as strength. “Sanremo isn’t over until the finish line… it isn’t over until the last metre of Via Roma.”

Basso’s final message reflected the mindset required for a race that rarely follows expectations. “We have to fight and be ready.”

That is the reality of modern Milano-Sanremo. Pogacar may try to force the race open on the Cipressa. Van der Poel may be waiting to respond. Ganna may be positioned to capitalise if the balance shifts.

INEOS have prepared for one scenario above all others. But as Basso made clear, preparation only goes so far in a race where the decisive moment can come at any time, and from anywhere. And if the Cipressa once again becomes the point where everything changes, they intend to be ready for it.