Mathieu van der Poel "still disappointed" despite incredible comeback at Milano-Sanremo: "This is a missed chance"
Cycling
Mathieu van der Poel came into Milano-Sanremo as a "training ride" according to the team after he replaced one of his ill teammates. Whether his performance came as a surprise or not, the Dutchman returned to finish third at the longest race in the calendar in the first day of racing after a lingering back issue, an achievement that's hardly matched by anyone else on the day.
Despite this almost unconceivable achievement, van der Poel has expressed disappointment in his result: "I'm still disappointed. I think from maybe the biggest favourites I won the sprint for third place. It's a shame we couldn't sprint for victory today but that's Milan-San Remo. A few times it went like this already and it's just a difficult race to win."
Although it was always within the realm of possibility, it was expected that Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen would be leading Alpecin-Fenix. As the race toughened up at Cipressa, Philipsen didn't resist the pace in the peloton but a figure of the Dutch team emerged in the peloton as van der Poel was well present within the big favourites. He was not only present, but also active in the finale as he answered the attacks of Tadej Pogacar and Soren Kragh Andersen at the Poggio readily.
"We all know that Matej Mohorič can do quick descents. But I thought the group was big enough also to close the gap when we were down. I think he deserves it as well – it's strong if you can maintain a gap until the finish line," he added. Van der Poel was between the riders who put the most effort to reel in Matej Mohoric in the run-up to the line, but the group's efforts were unsuccessful.
"Also it was a bit of lack of cooperation. We were two riders with Pedersen and Van Aert that really tried to close the gap. We needed one or two teammates to close it with us, but that's racing.
He still won the sprint in the chasing group, finishing a strong third place. Well above the expectations of most: "I'm really happy with the feeling and I didn't have any pain in the back, so that's a positive thing about today, But I'm getting old as well. So, this is a missed chance again."
With his form in a seemingly good place, van der Poel will this coming week race Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali to prime it up in time of the Tour des Flandres and Paris-Roubaix, his main goals of the spring.
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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🇮🇹 #MilanoSanremo His last road race of 2021: @Paris_Roubaix 🥉 His first road race of 2022: @Milano_Sanremo 🥉 Welcome back, champ! 👊
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