Despite breaking his wrist in training just eight days ago, Ion Izagirre will get the swansong from the peloton he wanted after all, with Cofidis confirming three days before Il Lombardia that the Basque rider would start in Bergamo before retiring.
"A champion never gives up!" read the post on the French team's X profile, with a video of Izagirre announcing that "I didn't want to end my sports career like that, so we will see each other on Saturday at Lombardy."
Izagirre had initially had his end-of-career plans wrecked by a training crash on September 30, then telling Cyclingnews that "I'm in mourning. It's just a feeling of being hurt and demotivated, disappointed with what happened," as his final season was ended abruptly after 17 years.
Latest Videos FromCyclingnews
The 37-year-old was left particularly disappointed, as he had been in stunning form heading into the Italian Autumn Classics, winning the Memorial Marco Pantani ahead of Giulio Pellizzari.
That was his second win of the season, also beating Quinn Simmons to the win at the GP Miguel Indurain in April.
A two-time Tour de France stage winner, Vuelta a España stage winner, and GC champion from Itzulia Basque Country and the Tour de Pologne, Izagirre has been one of the best Basque riders of his generation, having turned pro in 2017.
Izagirre's plans for road racing retirement don't include any full continuation as a racer, be that in gravel or any other discipline. Instead, he wants to enjoy his time with family and ride the bike as a fan.
"When I hang up my wheels, that's me done for good," he said last week in an interview with Cyclingnews. "I'll go on riding a bike out of pure pleasure, and as a fan of the sport.
"Cycling has given me a lot, and I think it'll help me clear my head if I need it in the future, too, by simply riding the bike. But without any need of being out there doing series, training hard and so on.
Just choosing the day and the place and the time and the people I want to be with. It'll be another world."
Subscribe to Cyclingnews for comprehensive race coverage of the UCI Gravel World Championships, alongside the final Monument of the season, Il Lombardia. Subscribers get unlimited access to exclusive analysis from our expert columnists, in-depth features and industry-leading tech insight. Plus, the Cyclingnews app lets you follow the action wherever you go! Join today.
