Mathieu van der Poel harbours hopes of surpassing his famous grandfather with a second consecutive victory at Milan-Sanremo, a feat no rider has managed since 2001.
cycling events in the world on SBS On Demand Van der Poel etched his name in Monument history last year after attacking on the summit of the Poggio before fending off the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Wout van Aert in the final five kilometres to the finish line. It was a victory that carried added significance for the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider; taking place some 62 years after his own grandfather, the late Raymond Poulidor, stood atop the same podium.
The 2024 route, stretching 288 kilometres, begins in Pavia for just the second time before concluding with a succession of hills in the final 60km – including the Poggio, a climb that has played a direct part in the outcome of the last six editions. Dubbed ‘the most important six minutes in cycling’, van der Poel’s victory, too, came courtesy of this 3.6km scramble at 3.