Maxim van Gils does not shy away from Milano-Sanremo surprise: "Such an effort of 4.5 minutes is tailor-made for me"

Maxim van Gils has raced four times this season and finished on the Top5 every single time. He has won the Vuelta a Andalucia time-trial by surprise and stormed to third at Strade Bianche. The Belgian puncheur leads Lotto Dsnty's ambitions at Milano-Sanremo and does not set limits to what he can do.

“The first time the Cipressa was more important than I thought, that's where I made a mistake. Last year I was good on the Cipressa, but I was too far on the Poggio," van Gils told Het Nieuwsblad. "I have to be more at the front of that this year. If you succeed, you will automatically participate.” Positioning will be key, as every rider will be trying to save as much as possible and enter as close to the front as possible into the Poggio di Sanremo.

The 24-year old puncheur has shown nothing but impressive results lately and after a 34th and 38th spot in the Italian monument, he's ready to take the next step. Studying the route closely and having the experience is key to perform in this race, and he provides details into what the riders will find.

“In that respect it is perhaps the most dangerous course. The run-up to the Cipressa is terrifying. Street furniture, parked cars on the side... This happens naturally during the race, but afterwards it is a bit of a shock when you see how dangerous it all was," he says of the route. "The jostling comes close to a bunch sprint in the Tour.”

However the race will be decided afterwards. The Poggio specially is where action is expected to really explode and van Gils believes that it is a climb that is perfect for his abilities. "Such an effort of 4.5 minutes is tailor-made for me. Especially after such a long race. Then it all goes a bit slower than after 200 or 250 kilometers."

He has tough competition, but he does not discard being in the fight for the podium. "If Tadej Pogacar breaks away together with Van der Poel, it will be difficult to follow them. If a group of six or seven riders jumps away, I just have to be there.”