Jasper Philipsen won the Milan-San Remo with a bike throw on Saturday after a photo-finish triumph in the first one-day Monument race of the season.
Belgian Philipsen used the bike throw manoeuver right on the line to pip Australia’s Michael Matthews into second with Tadej Pogacar third at the Riviera finish line.
The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider charged to the biggest one-day win of his career in an unusual sprint finish as Pogacar and Mathiue Van der Poel tried and failed to pull away in the final kilometres.
“It’s incredible, it’s one of the dreams of any cyclist. To be a sprinter and win it, it’s incredible” said Philipsen.
Philipsen has won six stages of the Tour de France and claimed the points jersey in last year’s edition of cycling’s most important Grand Tour.
He is the first sprinter to win Milan San-Remo since Arnaud Demare’s victory in 2016.
Pogacar was again disappointed after starting the season so well at Strade Bianche earlier this month.
His UAE moved to the front of peloton with 51km left on Capo Mele, the first of the climbs which brings the race to its climax, to put Pogacar in position.
And they pushed forward again on the famous Cipressa climbs with 27km remaining as an early break was gobbled up by the peloton on the descent.
Filippo Ganna and Van der Poel were among the big hitters at the front of the peloton, with world champion Van der Poel in his first race of the road season.
On the flat Davide Bais, who had been in the break, made another burst ahead as the main bunch prepared for the decisive Poggio Di San Remo climb.
Bais was caught for the second time of the day just before the start of the Poggio and Pogacar took to the front behind teammate Tim Wellens with Van der Poel on his wheel.
Pogcar pushed and with 6km to go broke away, with Van der Poel hot in pursuit as they crested the Poggio but the Slovene couldn’t build a big enough gap and Philipsen made his move to take a famous win.
