Tadei Pogachar (UAE Team Emirates) had few regrets as he reflected on his performance in Milan - San Remo. [Only Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Wout Van Art (Jumbo Visma), and Van der Pol were able to cling to his rear wheel in the last kilometer of Poggio.

The original Pogachar followed the group with room to spare near the summit, but had no reply when Van der Pol passed him and jumped into the descent to win on the Via Roma.

"I have no regrets," he told Cycling News and Eurosport. [Last year I attacked four times, this year only once. This year only once. But the whole team did really well today."

Pogachar praised Tim Wellens, who attacked in Poggio, and van der Pol, who counter-attacked.

"Mathieu was sprinting at the top [of Poggio]. I was already dead on the turn," he admitted.

"He opened the gap really fast and was better than us on the downhills. I could see he was really sprinting coming out of the corners. The three of us couldn't do the same with him. As a result, he won.

"We had one goal today. That was to attack after Tim's (Wellens) pull. Tim did a really perfect job. I wasn't strong enough to go it alone. Then Van der Pol attacked, but he was too strong and I couldn't keep up with him. He was too strong.

Pogachar will face Van der Pol and his classics rivals in the E3 Saxo Classic in Belgium and the Tour of Flanders.

He is looking for better racing, not revenge.

"The best man won. And the best man will win in Flanders," he said in a sportsmanlike manner.