How to watch Milano-Sanremo 2026 – TV and live stream schedule, start times, riders to watch as Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar duel again
Updated 19/03/2026 at 17:53 GMT
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The first Monument of the 2026 cycling season is here, with Milano-Sanremo headlined by the renewing of the rivalry between Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel. The pair had several thrilling battles in 2025, including at this very race, and will meet again on March 21. Tom Pidcock and Wout van Aert are also set to compete, which at 298km is the longest one-day event of the season.
‘Pure drama’ as Van der Poel edges Pogacar at Milano-Sanremo - ‘What on earth have we just seen?!’
Video credit: TNT Sports
Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel will face off for the first time this season at Milano-Sanremo, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Van der Poel (Alpecin-Premier Tech) were involved in several thrilling battles in 2025, including at Milano-Sanremo as Van der Poel sprinted to victory.
Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) and Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) are also competing in the race, which is the first of the five Monuments and, at 298km, is the longest one-day event on the calendar.
We run through all the details on Milano-Sanremo, including how to watch and live stream, when it starts, and who will be on the start line for the men's and women's races…
When is Milano-Sanremo?
The men's edition of Milano-Sanremo will take place on Saturday, March 21, with coverage starting at 8:30am UK time on TNT Sports 4 and discovery+.
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Highlights: Pogacar powers to Strade Bianche win, teenager Seixas second
Video credit: TNT Sports
The race gets under way in Pavia and finishes in Sanremo, with the 298km route making it nine kilometres longer than in 2025.
The women’s edition of Milano-Sanremo is also on March 21, with coverage starting at 11:30am UK time. It starts in Genoa and finishing in Sanremo after a 156km race.
How to watch Milano-Sanremo
You can watch all the action from Milano-Sanremo live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The men's race will be live on TNT Sports 4 and discovery+ from 8.30am UK time, while coverage of the women's race begins at 11.30am.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms, offering a line-up of up to four TV channels (TNT Sports 1, TNT Sports 2, TNT Sports 3, TNT Sports 4), and up to six digital or red-button channels (TNT Sports 5 to 10), and TNT Sports Ultimate plus TNT Sports Box Office HD.
You can subscribe to TNT Sports through discovery+, BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.
Who is competing at Milano-Sanremo?
Milano-Sanremo will see Pogacar and Van der Poel meet for the first time in 2026.
Both enter the race in good form, Pogacar dominating on his season debut at Strade Bianche and Van der Poel winning Omloop Nieuwsblad and two stages at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Asked at Tirreno-Adriatico whether he is in the form of his life, Van der Poel said: "That is always a difficult question. I think I’m simply at a very good level, but to say right now that I’m in the best shape of my life... I don’t know. But I’m definitely very happy with it."
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Highlights: Van der Poel storms sprint finish as Pellizzari takes blue jersey
Video credit: TNT Sports
Pogacar is yet to win Milano-Sanremo, placing fifth, fourth, third and third in his last four attempts.
He is also set to rival Van der Poel early in the 2026 season at the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.
Pogacar's UAE teammates will include Isaac del Toro, Jan Christen, Felix Großschartner, Brandon McNulty, Domen Novak and Florian Vermeersch.
Ahead of Saturday's race, the Slovenian said: ”It’s no secret that Milano-Sanremo is a race I would love to win. I think it suits me well but also suits a lot of the other top guys. I see that as a good challenge."
Van Aert will be looking to contend at Milano-Sanremo after a "good week" at Tirreno-Adriatico.
"Pogacar and Van der Poel are the big favourites. I could win, though, because Sanremo is a race where anything can happen," he told Sporza.
"Tirreno was a good week. I needed race days and there were a couple of tough stages in there."
Pidcock will be aiming to build on his seventh-place finish at Strade Bianche, while Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) could be one to look out for.
Mads Pedersen (Lidl Trek) has been cleared to compete after recovering from a wrist fracture he suffered earlier this season at Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
”Honestly, the plan was not to race Sanremo,” Pedersen said, ”but we have done some really good training... After a few hard trainings this week, we believe that it is a good decision to race again."
Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) won the first women's Milano-Sanremo in 20 years in 2025, and should be one of the favourites for glory again.
Demi Vollering (FDJ–Suez) and Visma duo Pauline Ferrand-Prevot and Marianne Vos could be among those challenging Wiebes.
Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) and Elisa Longo Borghini (UAE Team ADQ) are also entered.
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