Cycling-Van der Poel solos to emotional Milan-Sanremo victory

FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 1 - Copenhagen to Copenhagen - Copenhagen, Denmark - July 1, 2022 Alpecin - Deceuninck's Mathieu Van Der Poel in action during stage 1 REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

(Reuters) - Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel won the Milan-Sanremo on Saturday to claim the first Monument of the season, 62 years after his grandfather won the race.

UAE Team Emirates set the pace and their rider Tim Wellens took the lead in the final stages before handing it over to his team mate Tadej Pogacar, but he had Filippo Ganna, Wout van Aert and Van der Poel for company on the final descent.