Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, Wout van Aert caught in crash in finale of Milan-San Remo

The finale of Milan-San Remo saw an unexpected shake-up as pre-race favourites Tadej Pogačar, Mathieu van der Poel, and Wout van Aert were all involved in a crash with approximately 32km remaining. The incident occurred as the peloton approached the Cipressa, forcing World Champion Van der Poel, in particular, into a significant chase to regain contact with the main group, while Pogačar and Van Aert also had to expend energy to recover their positions.

This chaotic moment, involving three of cycling's most dominant figures, dramatically altered the tactical landscape of La Classicissima. Van der Poel, the defending champion and current rainbow jersey holder, had his strategic options severely curtailed by the effort required to bridge back, potentially impacting his ability to launch a decisive attack later. For Pogačar and Van Aert, while less severely affected, it was an unwelcome expenditure of watts just as the race was heating up, a critical factor in a monument known for its attritional final kilometres.

Ultimately, the crash served as a stark reminder that even the sport's titans are not immune to the capricious nature of the peloton, forcing a premature display of their recovery prowess rather than their attacking might.