Como-Bergamo in 2021, Bergamo-Como this year: regardless of the direction of the Tour of Lombardy route, the winner is always called Tadej Pogacar. A year after his first success in the Fallen Leaf Classic, the Slovenian cyclist repeated his performance by winning the 116e edition, Saturday October 8, ahead of Enric Mas (Movistar) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious). At 24, he won the third Monument (the five most prestigious one-day events) of his career after opening his counter in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, in 2021.
“It’s really amazing to come back here and win again, he rejoiced after the finish. Everything went as we wanted. I knew that today I had good legs. » They allowed him to achieve the first double on the event since the Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez in 2012 and 2013.
The strongest is Pogacar! The Slovenian wins the Tour of Lombardy for the second time. He wins ahead of Ma… https://t.co/mwiK1F8TPz
The UAE Team Emirates rider met Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) for the first time since the latter’s victory in the Tour de France. But in the end there was no duel. When Tadej Pogacar attacked in the Civiglio (4 km at 10% average gradient), the Dane failed to follow. Only Enric Mas and Mikel Landa, delayed, took the wheel of the Slovenian.
Despite several successive attacks between “Pogi” and Mas, the decision was finally decided in a two-man sprint. Fast in this exercise, the double winner of the Tour de France left no chance to the Spaniard, yet in great shape at the end of the season, like his victory in front of Pogacar on the Tour of Emilia, the 1is october.
Remarkable teamwork
But the native of Komenda (Slovenia) was indeed the strongest, in the wake of his success on Tuesday in the Three Vares Valleys. Above all, he was able to count on the remarkable work of his teammates. Joao Almeida launched hostilities more than sixty kilometers from the finish, in the ascent of the Madonna del Ghisallo (8.7 km at 5.4%) before Davide Formolo propelled him twenty kilometers from Como. A fatal acceleration for Julian Alaphilippe (51eQuick-Step Alpha Vinyl) ou Vincenzo Nibali (24eAstana), who was competing in the last race of his career.
Raising his arms for the sixteenth time this season, Tadej Pogacar ends the year with the most success on the clock ahead of world champion Remco Evenepoel (15 wins, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). “It’s an almost perfect season”he estimated after the passage of the line.
If he did not win a third consecutive Tour de France, he pocketed three stage victories on French roads while signing great successes at the Strade Bianche or the Grand Prix de Montréal. In addition, the Slovenian – fifth in Milan-San Remo and fourth in the Tour of Flanders – has shown that in the future we should count on him on all terrains.
Two French people entered the top 10: Rudy Molard (8eGroupama-FDJ) and Romain Bardet (9eDSM). “It’s not bad because I was not super welladmitted the latter on Eurosport. I suffered, it was a little winded. » For the last race of his career, the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) took sixth place in a race that still refuses him. “I leave professional cycling with a good place”satisfied the Murcian after the arrival.