Pidcock metres from victory at Milan-San Remo

Ineos big-hitter attempts the impossible but gets caught by a baying bunch including eventual winner Jasper Phillpsen, writes

- Adam Becket

With 500m to go at Milan-San Remo on Saturday, Tom Pidcock was alone off the front, and within touching distance of a first Monument victory. Responding to a surge from BoraHansgrohe's Matteo Sobrero with just over one kilometre to go, the Ineos Grenadiers rider jumped clear and needed a moment's hesitation from the riders behind to make his move stick.

The Brit was part of an elite front group of 12 riders which contained three current or former world champions, and four Monument winners, including last year's winner, and the current world champion, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck). It was the Dutchman who proved decisive in shutting Pidcock's late challenge down, pulling him back and setting up his team-mate Jasper Philipsen for the biggest one-day victory of his career. It was the first time a bona fide sprinter had won the race - which used to be known as one for fastmen - since Arnaud Démare in 2016.

The old adage about Milan-San Remo is that it's the easiest race to finish yet the hardest to win, and this is what Pidcock found last weekend. At just his third attempt, perhaps it is something that more experience will help with.