“The most open race of the year” - In-form French contender Romain Gregoire eyes Cipressa selection as Sanremo chaos offers rare opportunity
Cycling
At Milano-Sanremo, everyone knows what is coming. Tadej Pogacar will try to break the race on the Cipressa. Mathieu van der Poel will try to follow. The question is what happens just behind them.
Because in a race now decided by seconds rather than gaps, staying close enough can be the difference between riding for places and riding for the win.
Few riders arrive better suited to that moment than Romain Gregoire. “I’m coming here with the ambition to play a role at the front of the race,” Gregoire said through his team channels. “The goal is clear: to be perfectly positioned when the real battle begins, especially on the Cipressa.”
Close enough can be enough
That focus is not theoretical. Gregoire has already lived it. On his debut last year, when Pogacar blew the race apart on the Cipressa, Gregoire was one of the few riders able to respond at first, alongside Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna. The second acceleration ended his race at the front, and the effort lingered all the way to the finish, but the more important detail is where he was when it mattered.
He was there. “This year, the plan is to reach a new level, to stay with the leaders all the way to the summit and keep riding with them,” he said. “From there, anything is possible, and I want to be ready to take my chance and fight for a big result.”
That is the shift. Not a different race, but a different distance to the same moment.
Form that supports the theory
Gregoire does not arrive on promise alone. His spring has already delivered. He beat Matteo Jorgenson to win the Faun Drome Classic, followed it with second at Trofeo Laigueglia, and was fourth at Strade Bianche. The level is there, and more importantly, it has been repeatable.
It is also a profile that fits the race as it is now raced. Not built around control, but around the ability to respond when the pace lifts and hold on when it does not come back down.
That is why he sees the race differently. “Milano-Sanremo is the most open race of the year, and that is clearly an advantage for us.”
Romain Grégoire at the 2026 Trofeo Laigueglia
The race within the race
Sanremo rarely unfolds in a straight line. The first move is not always the decisive one. What happens immediately after can matter just as much.
If Pogacar goes again, the race will split. If Van der Poel follows, the front will be elite. But just behind, the race often remains alive, stretched rather than broken.
That is where Gregoire fits. Not as the rider forcing the move, but as one who can live closest to it. “Everything has to go in your direction,” he said. “A lot of that comes down to legs, but you have to be there in position and be on a good day and be able to follow the best guys to fight for the win.”
A different kind of contender
Gregoire does not need to dominate Milano-Sanremo to change his result. Last year showed he could reach the decisive point. This year is about staying there.
Not matching Pogacar and Van der Poel. Just staying close enough that the race might bring him back into it.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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