Van der Poel reveals painful injury picked up in Milan-San Remo crash

Mathieu van der Poel was once again in the picture for a Monument title in Saturday's Milan-San Remo, latching onto an attack from Tadej Pogačar with Tom Pidcock on the Cipressa. He was eventually dropped on the Poggio and went on to finish eighth, later revealing he'd been racing with some significant discomfort from the crash that also took down Pogačar and third-place Wout van Aert.

"During that big crash, another rider came from the left, and that's how I hurt my hand quite badly. I think the damage isn't too bad, but it really does hurt," Van der Poel told Het Nieuwsblad on the Via Roma. Adding to NOS, "I was with them [Pogačar and Pidcock] when I needed to be, but I didn't feel great. I said on the radio, 'I can't hold my handlebars properly anymore.' I tried."

Van der Poel is next expected to race at the E3 Saxo Classic on Friday where he's won the past two editions on the trot, and never finished off the podium in four appearances.