“The foot of the Cipressa is the red flag for the sprinters” – UAE plotting Pogacar’s Milano-Sanremo ambush

The 2026 Milano-Sanremo once again promises to be one of the most fascinating races of the cycling season, and once again the spotlight falls firmly on Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian is chasing a clear objective: finally adding the Classicissima to his palmares, one of the two Monuments still missing alongside Paris-Roubaix.

To achieve that goal, UAE Team Emirates - XRG are preparing an aggressive strategy built around attacking the race on the Cipressa rather than waiting for the more traditional showdown on the Poggio.

Ahead of the race, team sports director Fabio Baldato gave a clear insight into the plan in comments to Sporza. Rather than hiding the team’s intentions, the Italian spoke openly about the possibility of an early offensive. “Yes, I think it’s possible.”

The comment refers to the idea of launching a long-range move on the Cipressa. It is a tactic that rarely succeeds in Milano-Sanremo, but with a rider like Pogacar, the scenario becomes far more realistic.

Baldato believes the nature of the climb itself offers the opportunity. “The climb is quite short, and the speed is extremely high. You have to ride at more than about 35 kilometres per hour. The legs are still relatively fresh because there are not many climbs before it, but it can be done.”

The analysis challenges one of the long-standing assumptions of Milano-Sanremo, where the Cipressa is often seen as a prelude to the decisive action on the Poggio. For UAE Team Emirates, however, it could be the moment where the race truly opens.

The approach is not entirely new. Pogacar has already attempted to make the race harder from the distance in previous editions, hoping to avoid a sprint finish where riders such as Mathieu van der Poel hold a clear advantage.

Baldato acknowledged the scale of that challenge. “It won’t be easy because Mathieu is in incredible form.”

Even if the race is heavily reduced, the Dutchman has repeatedly shown he can survive the hardest accelerations and still finish strongly.

For that reason, the role of riders such as Isaac del Toro and the rest of the UAE Team Emirates line-up will be crucial. The plan is to push the pace from the base of the Cipressa, forcing a natural selection that drops the pure sprinters and reduces the leading group to the strongest riders.

In that situation, Pogacar would have the platform to launch one of his trademark explosive attacks.

Positioning will also be critical. Baldato highlighted how important the run into the climb can be in a race like Milano-Sanremo. “The foot of the Cipressa is like the red flag for the sprinters.”

It is the moment when teams fight for position before the race begins to explode. “It’s similar to the fight for position before climbs like the Molenberg or the Kwaremont,” he added, comparing the battle to the decisive positioning fights seen in the Flemish classics.

That fight for the front can be just as decisive as the attack itself. If UAE place multiple riders near the head of the peloton, they can control the tempo and launch their move at the right moment. If they miss that positioning battle, the plan risks collapsing before it properly begins.

The remaining question is whether anyone can follow Pogacar if he attacks on the Cipressa. Van der Poel appears the most dangerous rival, but riders such as Wout van Aert and Mads Pedersen could also benefit if the race becomes hard without completely breaking apart.

What seems certain is that UAE Team Emirates do not want to wait for the Poggio or settle for a reduced sprint. Pogacar’s ambition demands a different approach. A more aggressive one.

And if Baldato’s prediction proves correct, the Cipressa could once again become the decisive point of Milano-Sanremo rather than just the prelude to the final climb of the Poggio.