Wout van Aert: "Pogacar is the top favourite, if you see how impressively he raced in Paris-Nice"
Cycling
Wout van Aert has raced Milano-Sanremo against Tadej Pogacar and saw first hand how dangerous he can be. In 2023 the two set off as the two main favourites, something widely accepted among rivals and fans, but van Aert is keen on passing the pressure onto the Paris-Nice winner.
"To be at the start of Milan-San Remo is always a bit scary, but it's one of my favorite races. The course has become more and more developed for attackers in recent years," van Aert said at the team presentation. "Tadej Pogacar is of course one of the favourites, he will definitely attack. But where and when is the question. He will make the course hard.”
Van Aert was one of the riders who responded to Pogacar's many attacks last year, which eventually did not culminate in success as Matej Mohoric escaped to victory on the line. However, he has the experience and a win on his palmarès here in Italy, and he knows very well what to do in order to search a second triumph.
“Last year I shot a lot of gunpowder with that, but actually I couldn't have done it any other way. I'm supposed to have help on the Poggio now. We have to survive that climb with several men.” Although missing some riders, Jumbo-Visma bring in Christophe Laporte who could be equally as dangerous as van Aert at the finish. The presence of Attila Valter and Jan Tratnik should see the duo well protected towards the end.
Van Aert's form has steadily been rising since he began training for the road season, and at Tirreno-Adriatico he showed glimpses of good form - although a crash on stage 4 proved to be quite a hurdle. However, ascents such as the Cipressa and the Poggio are perfect for his powerhouse build, and when it comes to the sprint and the flat roads that lead to it the Belgian should have no weak spot.
“Milan-San Remo is often decided in the last two or three kilometers and then it is an advantage to have another teammate with you, something that has not been possible in recent years. Pogacar is the top favourite, if you see how impressively he raced in Paris-Nice," he concluded.
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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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leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
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parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
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🇮🇹 #MilanoSanremo Recon ✅. Bring on 𝐿𝒶 𝒫𝓇𝒾𝓂𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒶. ☀️
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