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Ever wonder how team tactics are devised in cycling’s biggest races?
UAE Emirates-XRG has released exclusive behind-the-scenes footage revealing the strategy Tadej Pogačar and his teammates developed to win Milan-San Remo and crack eternal rival Mathieu van der Poel.
The video, filmed the evening before the race, shows Pogačar and key teammates Tim Wellens and Isaac del Toro gathering in the team bus, where Andrej Hauptman, Pogačar’s longtime mentor, and team manager Joxean Fernández Matxín lead the final tactical meeting.
The video delves into UAE tactics and reveals how meticulously the team planned for Pogačar’s audacious raid on the Cipressa, the first of two climbs that mark the wild finale of Milan-San Remo.
For years, everyone thought the Cipressa was too far from the finish and too easy to launch an attack.
No one has won La Primavera in a move from the Cipressa since the 1990s, but the video lifts the lid on how deep the team went in preparing for Pogačar’s race-breaking move.
“The Cipressa is our ramp tomorrow,” Hauptman said. “Cipressa full-gas, and if it’s really hard, Tadej will go.”
The video goes over how the team previewed the entire race course, looking at all the points along the season’s longest race, including such details as feed zones, climbing meters, and plotted-out wind direction.
WATCH: The full 7-minute video is now on UAE Emirates-XRG YouTube channel.
Pogačar is seen taking command of the tactics and assigns Wellens the job of pushing the pace from the base of the climb to set up the attack. The veteran Belgian also plays a key role inside the bus, providing his experience and guidance in the big race.
“We have to be at the front here to make it harder,” Pogačar said, pointing to a key switchback on the Cipressa. “Go all-out until the left-hand bend.”
Rare glimpse at how Pogačar plotted the audacious Cipressa raid
Pogačar then turned to Mexican phenom Isaac del Toro to keep the momentum going once Wellens finished his effort.
“Here, Isaac, take a breath, and then do 25 seconds all-out from this right-hand corner. I’ll attack right after,” Pogačar said. “If you have five seconds, the peloton doesn’t see you.”
Despite the well-defined plan, things don’t always go as scripted.
As it turned out, Del Toro wasn’t in position to set up his boss, but Jhonatan Narváez — who started the race commenting how much he hated racing in the rain — stepped up to launch the world champion.
Unfortunately for Pogačar, Van der Poel and Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) were able to follow the wheel.
Also read: Pogačar to skip E3, Gent-Wevelgem
There’s also some intense race footage and reactions inside the team cars and bus as the UAE staffers react to the unfolding drama.
Pogačar eventually crossed the line third, once again stymied in his quest to take down what’s called “the easiest race to finish but the hardest to win.”
“I couldn’t do more,” Pogačar says after crossing the line.
The video provided a rare, behind-the-scenes look at how the world No. 1 team prepares and plots tactics and strategies ahead of the major races.
And reveals how quickly riders and teams need to improvise once out on the road.
