Portugal Colonial - Pogacar 'relieved' by Milan-San Remo triumph, gunning to complete Monument set

World champion Pogacar beat Tom Pidcock to the finish line by centimetres and ended a long wait to win "La Classicissima" which had become an obsession.

The 27-year-old suggested that he may not return to the Italian Riviera after years of training around what he called "criminal" Italian traffic on the portion of the course which hugs the Mediterranean Sea.

"It was a lot of times training going to San Remo and basically you risk your life every training that you do here," Pogacar told reporters.

"It's one of the most unpredictable races I've ever done and I think it is one of the most unpredictable races in the world.

"It's quite a relief to finally win it. It's been many years training here and I will miss it."

Saturday's win was all the more remarkable because Pogacar crashed just before the key Cipressa climb, the 27-year-old saying he slid along the tarmac "longer than any water slides that I ever did".

Pogacar now needs only Paris-Roubaix to complete his collection of road cycling's five "Monument" races, with the "Hell of the North" coming up next month.

Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy and Roger De Vlaeminck are the only men who have won all five Monuments.

"We also put a lot of effort this winter for Roubaix, but yeah, I'm just so happy now in San Remo that whatever comes next is fine and I will not beat my head or anything," added Pogacar.

"Of course the shape is good and I will go to (the Tour of) Flanders and Roubaix with a strong team. We'll go for the win in both races, we will try and it's not only me in the team that has a chance to win, so yeah, we'll see."

O.Gaspar--PC