This was the advantage of being backed by Middle Eastern princes.
An ample budget allowed them to sign all sorts of top-tier World Tour riders as they pleased.
However, the riders from UAE Team who came to warm up at the Milan-Turin Race were, after all, support riders, not their team leader, Pogačar.
Their climbing ability wasn't as strong on climbs steeper than 10%.
This was a known characteristic of Milan-San Remo: the Poggio Mountain climb before the finish wasn't steep or long enough. That was why Pogačar could never shake van der Poel, and each time, it came down to a flat sprint to the finish.
Therefore, this group of support riders had been assigned to Milan-San Remo to assist Pogačar specifically for their ability to set the pace on gentle slopes and flat roads. Leading the pack on steep climbs was definitely not their forte.
