Pogacar out-sprinted Movistar's Enric Mas into second place after striking breakaway effort
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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Enric Mas (Movistar) sits on as Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) rides on the final climb(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Tadej Pogacar looks back to see Enric Mas on his wheel(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tadej Pogacar attacks on the San Fermo della Battaglia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Davide Formolo sets up Tadej Pogacar on the San Fermo della Battaglia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Matteo Fabbro (Bora-Hansgrohe) is brought back on the San Fermo della Battaglia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The peloton during Il Lombardia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Il Lombardia (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Il Lombardia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Il Lombardia(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
Il Lombardia peloton climbs out of Bergamo(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
The start of Il Lombardia 2022(Image credit: Getty Images Sport)
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) retained his Il Lombardia title in a two-up sprint against Enric Mas (Movistar).
The pair rode away from the rest of the field on the Civilio climb, and exchanged several attacks before fighting it out in a sprint.
Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) bridged up to them a couple of times, but was dropped on the final ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia, but did hang on to complete the podium.
But Pogačar had another kick in him, and ultimately won by about a bike length to achieve yet another huge win in his ever more remarkable career.
If there was any doubting Pogačar’s greatness following his defeat at the Tour de France at the hands of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), he’s reminded us of his brilliance over the last month. He’d already won the GP de Montréal in September and Tre Valli Varesine earlier this week, but this was the big one — his third career monument following last year’s edition and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.
“It’s really amazing to come back and repeat the victory,” he said at the finish. “The teamwork today, I cannot say how grateful I am. They did such an amazing job. And to pull it off at the last race of the season at Lombardy is amazing.”
UAE Team Emirates dominated the race, and were clearly the strongest team. Jumbo-Visma attempted to put them under pressure for their leader Jonas Vingegaard by setting a fierce pace on Madonna di Ghisallo, but succeeded only in burning their own domestiques, while UAE Team Emirates still had four or five riders to look after Pogačar.
From then on they continued to dominate the race, before Pogačar launched his attack on the Civiglio, 19km from the finish.
Perhaps it wasn’t quite the daring long-range efforts we’ve come to expect from the 24-year-old, but it was nevertheless a clinical tactic, that worked out virtually perfectly.
“The race went just how we wanted. I tried to attack on Civiglio, but Mas was clearly on the same level as me on the climb. We tried to cooperate until the final, so it went perfect.”
Whereas much of the pre-race hype focussed on the rematch between Pogačar and his Tour nemesis Vingegaard, it was Mas who turned out to be his most formidable rival.
The Spaniard had already marked himself out as a dangerous rider by defeating Pogačar at Giro dell'Emilia last week, and Il Lombardia panned out in a similar way, with the pair again riding away from everyone else.
This time, however, the Slovenian came out on top, which he attributed to finding better form post-World Championships in Australia.
“In Emilia, I was straight from Australia, and I’ve felt way better since then. Already in Tre Valli Varesine [which he won] I felt really great, so I knew that today should be good legs.”
Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious) nearly threw a spanner in the works by bridging back up to the two leaders not once but twice, but was eventually distanced for good when Mas made his last-gasp attack over the top of the final ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia, 5.5km from the finish.
Landa was nevertheless ‘very happy’ with the result, his first ever monument podium. “I really love this race,” he said, smiling at the finish. “But I’ve never arrived in the best shape. This time I arrived well, and am happy.”
Landa also had words for his compatriot Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who was riding the last ever race of his extraordinarily long professional career.
“Valverde was the best Spanish rider of the last years. And now there are two Spanish riders on the podium. So it’s good for Spanish cycling.
Valverde did a strong race too, winning the sprint for sixth in a chasing group, holding back while his teammate Mas took second. The result means the 42-year-old finishes his career with a remarkable seven top six finished at Il Lombardia, and 15 in all monuments.
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) also bid farewell to the sport he has enjoyed so much success in, but didn’t quite have the legs of Valverde. He ultimately finished 24th having been dropped on the Civiglio.
But the pair enjoyed an emotional moment at the start of the race, where they were treated to a guard of honour by the peloton prior to the race’s start.
How it unfolded
Famously known as the Race of the Falling Leaves, this year’s Il Lombardia took place under blue skies and pleasant weather despite its autumnal setting.
As the last World Tour race of the season, there was an end-of-term feel in the peloton as the riders looked forward to time off from racing.
Despite this jovial atmosphere, there was still serious racing to be done, and proceedings got off to a lively start at the drop of the flag.
After several attacks in the opening kilometres, a break of nine was established on the first climb of the day, the Forcellino di Bianzano. It contained Kenny Elissonde (Trek-Segafredo), Lawson Craddock (BikeExchange-Jayco), Alessandro De Marchi (Israel-Premier Tech), Christian Scaroni (Astana Qazaqstan), Davide Bais (EOLO-Kometa), Luca Covili, Alex Tolio (both Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), Natnael Tesfatsion and Simone Ravanelli (both Androni Giocattoli).
They were joined by Aurélien Paret-Peintre (AG2R Citroën) after a committed solo chase prior to the second, and longest, climb of the day, Passo di Ganda, completing the 10-man group that would spend the next few hours out in front.
UAE Team Emirates, Jumbo-Visma and Movistar all helped keep the pace high enough in the peloton to keep the riders on their toes, but not quick enough to bring the break back, with the deficit staying above two minutes. The hilly first half of the race was therefore more of a wearing down process ahead of the climatic finale, rather than prompting any early action.
During this subdued section of the race, Mikel Nieve (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) was forced to abandon the race after a crash about 150km from the finish. As another rider retiring after this race, it felt like an unworthy end to what has been a glittering career.
Il Lombardia marked the final professional race for both Alejandro Valverde and Vincenzo Nibali (Image credit: Getty Images)
Lorenzo Fortunato (EOLO-Kometa) also abandoned after going down in the same incident, as did Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux) – who had been tipped as one of the top contenders – after going down heavily in a separate crash 15km later.
Having grown up to over three minutes, the gap to the break started to fall rapidly as the peloton upped the pace in anticipation of Madonna del Ghisallo. With 71km left, and the climb just a few kilometres away, the catch was made.
On the climb, Jumbo-Visma set about making things difficult for their rivals, and Chris Harper’s pace was enough to drop several riders, most notably Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious). Once Harper was finished, UAE Team Emirates took over, and looked imposingly strong with João Almeida leading a long line of riders, upping the pace yet more to push more riders, including Julian Alaphilippe (QuickStep-AlpaVinyl), to the brink of being dropped.
UAE Team Emirates continued to set the pace on the approach to the finishing circuit, and were joined by other teams as the intensity increased on a tricky descent on the run-in to the first ascent of the San Fermo della Battaglia.
The increase in pace meant only around 35 riders started the climb together in the peloton, with many others who had been distanced on the descent being left with some ground to make up on the climb.
UAE Team Emirates again took control on the climb, setting a fierce enough pace to prevent any attacks.
There were still around 40 riders in the peloton as they began the final lap and the foot of the crucial Civiglio climb, by which points Bora-Hansgrohe were pulling at the front.
That number rapidly reduced as the group hit the climb, with Nibali and once again Alaphilippe among those jettisoned as Bora’s Matteo Fabbro set the pace, and there were more casualties when UAE Team Emirates again took over.
It was on this climb, 19km from the finish, that Pogačar made his race-shaping move. Only Mas was able to follow initially, but Mikel Landa dug in deep, catching them once before being dropped promptly by a Mas attack, only to return again on the descent.
From this group, Higuita and Rodriguez jumped clear ahead of the final climb, and managed to stay clear until the finish to seal fourth and fifth respectively.
Up ahead, the leading trio worked together to keep the chasers well adrift and still held a lead of over 30 seconds by the start of the final climb.
Mas attacked twice more towards the top of the climb, distancing Landa, but Pogačar had an answer both times.
Rather than sit on his wheel, Mas continued to work with Pogačar all the way to the finish, where the latter used his superior sprint to take the victory.
