Tadej Pogačar starts Saturday’s Il Lombardia with number 1 on his back and many people expecting a second consecutive victory from the Slovenian.
His Tour de France nemesis Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), Enric Mas (Movistar) and grand retirees Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde are just some of his expected rivals but Pogačar, as ever, is not perturbed or feeling the pressure.
“I think every race I go to, there’s some pressure, and that’s not a problem. I’m looking forward to Il Lombardia,” he told the media, including Cyclingnews, gathered at the UAE Team Emirates hotel near Bergamo, on Friday afternoon, clearly keen to end his 2022 season on a high.
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During the 2022 season, Pogačar dominated the UAE Tour again, won Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico, fought for victory at the Tour of Flanders, won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal and was second in the Tour de France. Of course, the Tour de France will always set the benchmark of his season and distort the optics.
“I had a few really nice moments in 2022, all the victories were all special,” he suggested.
“The Tour de France stages are always special and feel like the time you win one for the first time. Montreal was a big win for sure and Strade Bianche was super great. I wasn’t on the podium at Flanders but I enjoyed the race. I hope for another great memory at Il Lombardia.”
The fifth Monument of the season has perhaps lost some prestige as it has been squeezed by an ever bigger global calendar. Filippo Ganna’s Hour Record and the inaugural Gravel World Championships have also stolen some attention.
But Pogačar appears to be a traditionalist. He wants to win Il Lombardia and will end his season on the shores of Lake Como and under the falling leaves, like the greats of the sport did.
“It’s perhaps not as big as it once was and that’s maybe because it's one of the last races of the season. But I like it,” he said.
“It’s a race for the pure climbers. Not as big as Flanders, Paris-Roubaix or other Monuments but it's still a pretty big thing in Italy. For me it’s a really beautiful race. Finishing the season at Il Lombardia is something beautiful for me.”
Taking on Mas and Vingegaard
Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates teammates studied the 2022 race route between Bergamo and Como in detail on Thursday. Pogačar won in Bergamo last year but is well aware that the final climbs of San Fermo della Battaglia, the Civiglio and then San Fermo della Battaglia again will decide the race.
“The parcours has changed but it’s about the same metres of altitude. It's a hard climbers race. Lombardy is really hard and just like a Grand Tour mountain stage, where the climbers battle for victory at the end.”
Pogačar won the Tre Valli Varesine race on Tuesday, opting to wait for the sprint rather than attack on the steep, late climbs after his UAE Team Emirates squad controlled the action.
He expects Movistar to be a threat with Enric Mas and Alejandro Valverde, Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma are a danger, too. Mas managed to drop Pogačar to win last Saturday’s Giro dell’ Emilia. Vingegaard and Pogačar crossed paths in training on Thursday but have not raced against each other since the Tour de France.
“We’ll have to take responsibility for the race but that’s okay. I hope to have good legs, so that we can shake things up in the final,” he said.
“I think Enric and Jonas are threats because they've shown good form and can climb but it’s not only about them, I expect at least 10 riders in the final, fighting for the victory. I hope to be one of them.”
Pogačar is of a different generation to Nibali and Valverde, growing up as a boy when they were at their peak. He is careful to respect his elders but there will be no retirement gifts on Saturday if they come to finish in Como together.
“My race plan? To outsprint them!” he made it clear.
“Of course it’ll be sad to see them leave the WorldTour. We shared moments on the road as competitors and perhaps friends, they both influenced my career in some way.”
He has no plans to have such a long career.
“Never say never but I don’t see myself riding as a pro for as long. You need a really strong mentality to keep racing at a high level when you're 40, so chapeau to them.”
Win or lose Il Lombardia will bring the curtain down on Pogačar’s 2022 season. He was tempted to ride the UCI Gravel World Championships but that will be for another year when he has a chance to train and prepare for it.
Pogačar will attend the 2023 Tour de France presentation in Paris on October 27, with other sponsor obligations and team get togethers before that.
He will then head to Colombia for Rigoberto Uran’s Giro di Rigo ride and a well deserved holiday in South America.
By the time Pogačar returns to Europe, it will almost be time to start training for 2023.
