Tadej Pogačar stormed to a historic fourth consecutive victory at Il Lombardia after launching an unanswerable assault on the slopes of the Colma di Sormano climb.
Pogačar rode solo for 48 kilometres to the end line in Como to take his twenty fifth particular person victory of the season. The win additionally noticed the Slovenian equal Fausto Coppi’s file of 4 straight Lombardia victories and capped a exceptional yr through which he lately received the street world title in Zurich.
In addition to his Giro d’Italia and Tour de France titles, Lombardia marked his second Monument victory of the season after he received Liège–Bastogne–Liège in April.
After Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov reeled within the remnants of the day’s breakaway on the Sormano, a giant assault from Pogačar felt imminent. It got here nearly immediately after Sivakov caught the final two man standing, Thymen Arensman, and was merely unanswerable.
Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas of Movistar and Lotto Dstny’s Lennert Van Eetvelt tried to observe, however the trio struggled to work cohesively collectively as they tried to pursue the person within the rainbow jersey. Olympic champion Evenepoel dropped Mas and Van Eetvelt on the summit of the Sormano however was unable to bridge throughout to the rampaging Pogačar.
Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) ultimately obtained throughout to the entrance group within the closing levels earlier than shortly distancing them to take third. Evenepoel held on for a valiant second place, though the World Champion’s dominance meant that he completed greater than three minutes forward of the double Olympic champion.
As he rode into the ultimate few kilometres, a smile began appearing on Pogačar’s face as he knew that one more victory was within the bag. He cruised below the one kilometre to go banner and soaked up the second as he crossed the end line along with his arms aloft.
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The Triple Crown winner then climbed from his Colnago bike earlier than elevating it to the skies in celebration to spherical off a exceptional season.
The way it occurred
(Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
The ultimate Monument of the yr kicked off with drama when Tom Pidcock revealed that he had been “deselected” from the Ineos Grenadiers lineup on the eve of the race. The British star was beforehand anticipated to guide the staff in Italy.
As soon as the race obtained underway a big breakaway of 21 riders obtained up the street and progressively established a lead of round 4 and a half minutes. Matej Mohorič and Damiano Caruso had been current within the transfer for Bahrain Victorious. Different massive names included Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Daniel Martínez of Purple Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
With 84 kilometres to go the lead group had been onto the slopes of the Madonna di Ghisallo climb. The tempo was progressively starting to ramp up within the peloton behind them with UAE Workforce Emirates lined out on the head of the bunch. Tadej Pogačar was effectively positioned alongside his teammate Rafal Majka because the UAE prepare progressively reduce into the breakaways benefit. The chief’s hole had been reduce by a minute because the peloton started to ascend the Ghisallo.
The extraordinary tempo set by Adam Yates, Majka and Marc Hirschi on the climb meant that the breakaway’s lead was lowered to below two minutes because the riders started the descent and headed in direction of the Colma di Sormano. Mohorič was main the cost amongst the entrance group, making certain the tempo remained excessive and the peloton had been stored at bay for so long as attainable.
The chief’s benefit stood at only one minute because the Sormano started with 54 kilometres to the end line in Como. In the meantime again down the street it was over to Yates and Pavel Sivakov for UAE. Pogačar sat ominously in third wheel as Yates went to work and started to shred the time hole to the entrance of the race. Sivakov quickly took over because the peloton snaked by Sormano’s sequence of hairpins and reduce the hole to 30 seconds.
Sivakov quickly swallowed up the remnants of the break. Simply because the peloton made contact with the final males standing, Arensman and Xandro Meurisse of Alpecin-Deceuninck, it was over to Pogačar and he attacked immediately. A trademark explosive acceleration noticed him shortly open up a niche over Remco Evenepoel, Movistar’s Enric Mas and Lennert van Eeetvelt of Lotto Dstny, the one riders able to even making an attempt to observe.
The Slovenian had greater than a minute on the Evenepoel group as he crested the Sormano and tore into the descent. An acceleration from Evenepoel meant that he may start the technical downhill with a niche on Mas and Van Eetvelt. Sivakov was the following man on the street.
Pogačar’s onslaught continued and he quickly had two and a half minutes on Evenepoel which solely continued to extend. Evenepoel fought valiantly as he tried to get again on phrases with the Slovenian however his efforts weren’t sufficient to catch the flying World Champion.
Pogačar started to sit down up as the ultimate kilometres ticked by as he started to grasp the win was his. A late transfer from Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) noticed the Italian bridge throughout to Mas, Van Eetvelt and Sivakov. Ciccone then tore previous them to take third as Evenepoel held on for second behind the race winner.
Outcomes
Il Lombardia 2024: Bergamo > Como (255 km)
1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Workforce Emirates, in 06:04:58
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Fast-Step, + 03:16
3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, + 04:31
4. Ion Izagirre (Esp) Cofidis, + 04:34
5. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar,
6. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) UAE Workforce Emirates,
7. Lennert van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto Dstny, all at identical time
8. Neilson Powless (Usa) EF Schooling-EasyPost, + 04:58
9. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ,
10. Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, all at identical time
