Picture 1 of 45
World champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates) capped off maybe the best biking season of all time with a fourth Il Lombardia title in a row, producing a surprising 48.4km solo effort so as to add a second Monument to his Giro, Tour and Worlds triumphs in 2024.
Resplendent within the rainbow jersey, the Slovenian was led completely by his UAE Emirates teammates to the important thing Colma di Sormano climb after they reeled in a powerful 23-man breakaway, earlier than exploding out of final man Pavel Sivakov’s wheel and using solo to the road.
Such was Pogačar’s dominance that his eventual profitable margin from Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in second was 3:15, the most important since Eddy Merckx, the person to whom he’s so usually in contrast, soloed to Il Lombardia victory in 1971 additionally in Como and in addition on the earth champion’s jersey.
Evenepoel and Enric Mas (Movistar) have been the following greatest on the Sormano climb however even they may not mount a response to Pogačar’s preliminary assault, with Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) finally bridging throughout to struggle out the rostrum spots.
The Olympic champion Evenepoel went solo on the descent of the Sormano after failing to cooperate along with his compatriot and Mas, nevertheless, he made little impression on Pogačar’s quickly constructed lead regardless of using alone to second. It was an emotional podium for Evenepoel after returning to Como for the primary time since his horror crash on the 2020 Lombardia.
There was pleasure for the Italians on residence floor as Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) finally took third after chasing down the three-man group containing Van Eetvelt, Mas and Sivakov within the closing 3km and stealing a march on them as soon as they reached Como.
With this victory, Pogačar’s twenty fifth in 2024, he turned solely the second rider to win 4 Il Lombardias in a row after the nice Fausto Coppi 75 years in the past. He additionally equalled Alfredo Binda’s whole of 4 wins in Lombardia, the second most behind solely Coppi on 5, and now holds the identical quantity of Monuments of fellow Italian nice Gino Bartali, Tom Boonen and Fabian Cancellara on seven.
“Each victory is particular, and at present additionally, as a result of the staff labored so arduous all 12 months for all of the victories that we achieved, and at present is not any totally different. It was a giant day for us; a protracted race, a tough race, and it was all depending on our staff. We did an excellent job and I am tremendous blissful to win with the staff,” mentioned Pogačar in his post-race interview, confirming that the Sormano launch was, after all, the plan.
“We deliberate this as a result of the race is so arduous that in the long run, the final 40km is kind of man-to-man, and I knew that if I had an honest hole on the prime, I may handle to return to the end. You by no means know if it occurs, or not.”
Regardless of managing one other history-making journey, Pogačar was extra centered on the duty at hand and the roaring crowds that welcomed him all through the 255km route, not the place he holds amongst biking’s all-time greats.
“Let’s have a look at the place we will probably be after the profession,” he mentioned when requested if he may now take into consideration historical past along with his beautiful 2024 season coming to an finish. “I used to be having fun with the crowds. I am trying ahead to the low season.”
The way it unfolded
Lovely golden skies welcomed the riders in Bergamo as they set off for the 118th version of Il Lombardia with a barely modified 255km route, attributable to flooding, awaiting them.
The beginning was energetic proper from the flag drop, with a number of of the 25 groups making an attempt to get somebody into the day’s break. The primary of which was a three-man transfer of Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers), Tobias Bayer (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Giulio Masotto (Corratec-Vini Fantini) however they have been rapidly caught halfway up the primary climb to Forcellino di Bianzano.
With the 11.4km Selvino climb approaching, the following wave of assaults got here and with 200km to go, a entrance group of Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Matej Mohorič, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious), Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), Brandon Rivera (Ineos Grenadiers), Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek), Einer Rubio (Movistar), Martijn Tusveld (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Eddie Dunbar (Jayco AlUla), Matteo Fabro (Polti Kometa), Wilco Kelderman (Visma-Lease a Bike) Harold López (Astana Qazaqstan) and Dani Martinez (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) had shaped.
Tiberi was a late addition after bridging throughout and instantly got here to the entrance with Mohorič to try to get away from the UAE Emirates-led peloton behind who sat simply 34 seconds down.
Bastein Tronchon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) made the bounce to try to come throughout which seemed futile till he was joined by one other huge group on the descent of the Selvino, Rivera being the primary after getting dropped and making an attempt once more alongside teammate Thymen Arensman, Xandro Meurisse (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious), Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-QuickStep), Kevin Vermaerke (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Anders Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility).
With 170km to go, the racing in entrance got here collectively and a lead group of 23 had shaped and constructed a bonus of two:23, with Bahrain greatest represented by three riders and all of Visma, DSM, Ineos, FDJ, Alpecin and Movistar having two riders in entrance.
Because the racing headed northwest away from Bergamo and right into a 60km part with none climbing, UAE allowed the break’s result in develop upwards of 4:30 with Finn Fisher-Black and Jan Christen doing a lot of the work within the early part.
On the foot of the following ascent to Sella di Osigo and run as much as the fabled Madonna del Ghisallo climb, UAE re-established full management by way of Christen and Majka who started to make critical inroads into the deficit as racing entered the ultimate 90km.
By the point the peloton had reached the historic chapel, Pogačar’s ever-reliable domestique Majka had diminished the hole again right down to 2:30 and the break had begun to lose members because the battle set in absolutely.
The important thing climb to Colma di Sormano (12.9km at 6.4%) was talked about so much earlier than the race because the anticipated launch pad for the world champion, and his staff confirmed all of the indicators of confirming this with Adam Yates taking on for UAE on the foot with only one:02 to get again after the escapees light.
Molard and Meurisse tried strikes with little probability of a end result nonetheless attainable, with the Belgian and Arensman being the final survivors of the unique 23-man group. Nevertheless, the blast off from Pogačar was imminent as Yates pulled off and left solely Sivakov in entrance of the rainbow bands, with Olympic champion Evenepoel locked into his wheel prepared for the surge.
Pogačar made his transfer 48.4km from the road, exploding out of Sivakov’s wheel with out response and rapidly discovering himself alone with simply 6.3km of the climb to navigate and the descent into Como.
Evenepoel and Mas have been the following greatest because the peloton utterly splintered below the Slovenian’s stress, with Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) bridging throughout on his personal. Because the hole prolonged previous the minute mark and Evenepoel’s frustration constructing, he set off on his personal down the Sormano descent.
He rode effectively solo behind the eventual race winner, nevertheless, solely misplaced extra time on the primarily flat run-in, with Mas and Van Eetvelt finally being joined by Sivakov behind after failing to cooperate effectively.
Pogačar navigated the descents and reached the ultimate small climb, San Fermo, with a 2:23 lead on Evenepoel and 4:20 to the three-man chasing group containing his teammate.
This climb is the place the third chase group got here again after a protracted whereas off the again, with Lidl-Trek working effectively for Ciccone to bridge throughout solo. The Italian then introduced pleasure to the house nation as he attacked virtually immediately and rode residence to cross the road third after Evenepoel and Pogačar.
Pogačar held his bike aloft in celebration with rainbows throughout his equipment and gear, closing out his and the European racing season with a bang.
Outcomes
Outcomes powered by FirstCycling