Belgian Jasper Philipsen Wins Milan-San Remo 2024 in Thrilling Finish

Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen emerged victorious in the 115th Milan-San Remo race, the first ‘Monument’ one-day race of the men’s cycling season, after a gripping finish on Saturday(16 March).

The thrilling finale saw Philipsen claim victory in a photo finish, edging out Michael Matthews and Tadej Pogačar to secure his triumphant win.

In a field where the odds were against him, road race world champion and defending titleholder Mathieu van der Poel finished among the top contenders, all of whom crossed the finish line in unison.

Among the race’s highlights was Pogačar’s two spirited attempts to break from the peloton on the Poggio di San Remo with just 6km remaining, closely followed by Van der Poel on the rapid descent.

The closing stages witnessed various intense actions, including attacks by Thomas Pidcock and Matteo Sobrero, heightening the excitement of the day’s events.

Jasper Philipsen, who has previously claimed multiple stage victories in the Tour de France, clinched the most significant one-day race win of his career, setting a record time for the classic and completing the course in six hours, 14 minutes, and 44 seconds (6:14:44).

Milan-San Remo serves as the inaugural ‘Monument’ classic of the cycling season, alongside renowned events such as the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, and Giro di Lombardia, each presenting a unique challenge to the riders.

The upcoming race in the Monument series is the renowned Tour of Flanders, scheduled to take place on Sunday, 31 March, promising another enthralling chapter in the world of professional cycling.