Tadej Pogačar attacks on the Passo di Ganda. 12 pedal strokes to open a gap and he’s away with the rest unable to follow. It was the predicted scenario where the advance warning was little use to his rivals.
The day started with a choreographed send-off for those riders who started their last Lombardia, laurel wreaths were handed out and they rode past a guard of honour of their peers. Others though still face an uncertain future. Take Thibaut Guernalec, currently with Arkéa-B&B Hotels and capable of top-10s in time trials but no offers for 2026 yet. So when Quinn Simmons attacked at the start, Guernalec jumped too.
The breakaway grew to include another retiree in Louis Vervaeke, plus Filippo Ganna, Pello Bilbao, Lucas Hamilton, Victor Langellotti, Asbjørn Hellemose, Walter Calzoni, Gal Gilvar, Bart Lemmen, Michael Matthews, Bjorn Koerdt and Mattia Bais. After the retirement ceremony now came the moment of resignation because once Alessandro De Marchi’s counter-move was mopped up that was it. UAE’s Domen Novak worked to keep them at three minutes, surprisingly with a little help from Decathlon-Ag2r La Mondiale and more from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe.
Under the still warm sun the speed was fast, the early phase of UAE’s tactics is designed to sap all their rivals and go into the final having spent as many kilojoules as possible. Tom Pidcock had a crash coming off the Ghisallo, a clue to the tension. Scrapping for position after Roncola saw Ben Healy and Paul Seixas caught on the wrong side of a split, this cost the French teenager energy he’d have preferred to save for later. Soon after Jai Hindley hit the deck as he too fought for position.
Simmons attacked on the Passo della Crocetta with 85km to go. Long range but presumably he sensed he needed to get a move on and nobody could follow. He’s seems back after a couple of missed years. Normally on a course with 4,500m of vertical gain he’d have no chance but the America still had over three minutes lead on the approach to the Passo di Ganda. There even fleeting suspense because UAE were toiling without taking back time. But at the foot of the Passo di Ganda Simmon’s mattress had deflated to 2m15s.
Rafał Majka did his last ever pull on the front. Soon we had – in order – Jay Vine, Tadej Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro, Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas and Michael Storer. Once Vine wilted Pogačar stood up for 12 pedal strokes and rode away. Behind there was no movement, Del Toro had been on Pogačar’s wheel leaving Evenepoel with an extra bike length to close but the Belgian stayed put, almost not looking as if Pogačar was somehow invisible.
Seixas was slowly distanced/ Evenepoel surged past Simmons before the top of the climb, taking Storer in his wake. The Australian lost a few metres to the world time trial champion on the Selvino hairpins and was left solo. Evenepoel had to stop in the streets of Bergamo’s old city after a motorbike halted in front of him, anecdotal given the time gaps but these events seem to happen to him more than Pogačar. Storer held on for third place.
The Verdict
An outstanding accomplishment yet it feels ordinary because it was so predictable. This time it felt like everyone could name not just the winner, but the tactics, the place where he’d attack and, if we’d cared to cross-check the cronotabella schedule, probably the time of day when he’d make his move. And yet he still won.
Of all the five Lombardia wins this was surely the most dominant. In the past he’s had to duel with Enric Mas or Fausto Masnada. Here he rode clear of everyone, and surpassed Fausto Coppi too. Coppi won five editions but briefly thought he’d won six because in 1956 the race came down to a sprint in Milan’s Vigorelli velodrome and the Italian was convinced he won. But the photofinish showed André Darrigade got it instead, a touch of tension missing from this race although it’s hard to see RCS flattening the course, let alone venturing back to Milan.
Five in a row, why not six? The statistics and anecdotes that accompany each new Pogačar triumph feel ephemeral because they’ll only need to be updated soon. The obvious obstacle to a sixth win is Pogačar himself. We saw the mental fatigue that sapped him in July and that zapped the Vuelta in August.
For Evenepoel another runner-up spot after the Worlds and Euros. His move to Red Bull is sold as a means to improve but the German team looks adrift for their budget, they’d surely take second place in Bergamo right now; and probably Paris next year too. Storer was the surprise in third, finishing his best season, a rider who has few rivals on 20 minute climbs if things go his way. Simmons got fourth thanks to the long range move, something that might give a few others thought. Imagine a race where Richard Carapaz, Christian Scaroni and even Primož Roglič tried to join him at the start; or was the outcome inevitable?
As Pogačar openly evokes retirement, Paul Seixas continues to impress, his progress this season has been outstanding and his seventh place at the age of 19 means he’s the youngest rider to make the top-10 in a Monument since 1917, long before the Monuments were branded as such.
Cycling always seems to ask “what’s next?” and Italian TV even asked him about regrets from this season. Achieving the feat of standing on the podium of all the Monuments in a season allows Pogačar to celebrate but, metaphorically at least, before that second gulp of champagne comes the question of what he wants to do next. It’s surely these podiums that probably tell us plenty? Look back to the time where he did not stand on the top step and Sanremo and Roubaix will surely be his priorities for 2026, then duty at the Tour de France before another summer break and the Worlds in Montréal before, why not, a sixth win in Lombardia?
The Moment Paris-Tours Was Lost.
Now I’d read that! 😲
Almost as simple as the one above with Gruel and Lapeira stopping their work together. They were at least guaranteed to finish second but sometimes losing to a rival is worse. A fun finish as they often had 10-15 seconds for the final 30km (the TV captions were often too generous) so suspense to the end. Nice to see Trentin get a win too, he’s still going strong on the bike and cheerful off it seemingly all the time too.
Their post-race comments will have been interesting to say the least. The decision to use Bissegger, a rider who knows how to ride prologues and was a world champion pursuiter as a junior, as a leadout rather than attack immediately the catch was made was also strange. And yes, I won’t be the only person to miss Trentin’s chirpy interviews when he’s gone.
For the TV viewer, the afternoon of Paris – Tours with Jalabert and Voeckler had far more suspense, better images, and dramatic tactical errors where the two breakaway riders finessed the final km allowing the chasers back in and finished empty handed. Great racing, albeit second division.
Lombardy was as predictable as we feared.
Estimated efforts of Ganda:
Pogacar 477w – 7,22 w/kg
Evenepoel 430w – 6,82 w/kg
Coincidentally this effort is around 20min. So if we do the old FTP test, this brings Pogi to a 453w FTP, or 6,86 w/kg.
In other words, when Evenepoel is going all out for 20min, this is just riding at threshold for Pogi. He could do it for an hour or beyond.
There is an abyss between these riders’ levels. And that is why it is not even worth watching these races anymore. I don’t even care to bring up the pasts of his team manager and other staff anymore, I just don’t watch it.
But I’ll read your blog and wait. This phase in cycling will hopefully pass.
Nice to Simmons race a strong race. I’d imagine his value and interest by other teams has gone up. As you IR point out he has had some difficulty last year.
After being in the break for all that time he still did not let Del Toro pass him to line.