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World champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team 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 driving solo to the road.
Such was Pogačar’s dominance that his eventual successful margin from Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in second was 3:15, the largest since Eddy Merckx, the person to whom he’s so usually in contrast, soloed to Il Lombardia victory in 1971 additionally in Como and likewise on the earth champion’s jersey.
Evenepoel and Enric Mas (Movistar) have been the subsequent finest 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 battle out the rostrum spots.
The Olympic champion Evenepoel went solo on the descent of the Sormano after failing to cooperate together with his compatriot and Mas, nevertheless, he made little impression on Pogačar’s quickly constructed lead regardless of driving 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 dwelling 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 grew to become solely the second rider to win 4 Il Lombardias in a row after the good 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.
“Every victory is particular, and as we speak additionally, as a result of the staff labored so onerous all yr for all of the victories that we achieved, and as we speak isn’t any completely 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’m tremendous comfortable 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 onerous that ultimately, 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.”
Despite managing one other history-making experience, Pogačar was extra targeted 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 see the place we can be after the profession,” he mentioned when requested if he may now take into consideration historical past together with his gorgeous 2024 season coming to an finish. “I used to be having fun with the crowds. I’m trying ahead to the low season.”
How it unfolded
Beautiful golden skies welcomed the riders in Bergamo as they set off for the 118th version of Il Lombardia with a barely modified 255km route, as a consequence of flooding, awaiting them.
The begin was lively proper from the flag drop, with a number of of the 25 groups attempting to get somebody into the day’s break. The first 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 subsequent 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 (Red 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 attempting 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 finest represented by three riders and all of Visma, DSM, Ineos, FDJ, Alpecin and Movistar having two riders in entrance.
As 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 section.
At the foot of the subsequent 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 time the peloton had reached the historic chapel, Pogačar’s ever-reliable domestique Majka had decreased the hole again right down to 2:30 and the break had begun to lose members because the wrestle set in absolutely.
The key 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 up for UAE on the foot with just one:02 to get again after the escapees pale.
Molard and Meurisse tried strikes with little likelihood of a consequence nonetheless attainable, with the Belgian and Arensman being the final survivors of the unique 23-man group. However, 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 subsequent finest because the peloton utterly splintered beneath the Slovenian’s stress, with Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) bridging throughout on his personal. As 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 dwelling to cross the road third after Evenepoel and Pogačar.
Pogačar held his bike aloft in celebration with rainbows throughout his package and tools, closing out his and the European racing season with a bang.
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