"The plan was to hurt some sprinters": Mathieu van der Poel rips the peloton apart at Tirreno-Adriatico in preparation for Milano-San Remo

The final stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico delivered thrilling action from start to finish. While Jonathan Milan ultimately claimed the sprint victory and Isaac del Toro safely secured the overall title, the day was defined by a massive 30-kilometer offensive from Mathieu van der Poel and a late crash that took down his star sprinter teammate, Jasper Philipsen.

During the run-up to the finish, Mathieu van der Poel decided to put on an absolute show. On the Ripatransone climb, the Dutchman hit the front of the peloton and single-handedly ripped the race apart. He maintained a blistering pace for a staggering 30 kilometers, treating the stage as a massive training effort ahead of Milan-San Remo.

The damage behind him was significant: riders like Arnaud De Lie (who suffered a slow puncture) and even his own Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Jasper Philipsen were temporarily dropped, though Wout van Aert managed to hang on. It was an tense situation for the GC contenders before the peloton eventually regrouped for the final sprint.

“The plan was to hurt some sprinters. As a team, we executed our little plan well,” said Van der Poel in a post-race interview, who confirmed he had great legs again today, as usual.

With the pack back together, all eyes turned to the bunch sprint. However, the finale was marred by a heavy crash in the closing three kilometers involving Philipsen and Paul Magnier. Fortunately, both riders escaped serious injury, with Philipsen suffering only abrasions and Magnier sustaining a leg wound.

Alpecin-Deceuninck team director Christoph Roodhooft was quick to calm any panic regarding his star sprinter. “It is a pity, but otherwise nothing seems wrong. Everything is okay with Jasper,” Roodhooft explained. After speaking with his rider about the incident, he added: “I wasn't there, but Jasper says that Magnier actually came too late. They locked handlebars. It is especially unfortunate that it happens three kilometers from the finish.”

Van der Poel also weighed in on his teammate's unfortunate end to the race: “The crash of Jasper didn't look too bad, but it is of course a pity. This is a missed opportunity for him.”