
The organisers of Tirreno-Adriatico designed stage 4 to replicate the racing of Milan-San Remo, and Mathieu van der Poel showed he is ready for this year's La Classicissima with a tactical masterclass of monument racing to Martinsicuro.
The Alpecin-Premier Tech leader had the legs to join the decisive selection, then rode a tactical perfect race, even taking advantage of Wout van Aert's generosity and other riders' weaker tactical options before unleashing a 280 metre sprint along the Adriatic seafront as if he was sprinting in San Remo's Via Roma finish.