As it happened: Decisive moves made on the Passo di Ganda to decide Il Lombardia

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of Il Lombardia 2025!

We'll be here to keep you updated with the race all day long, as world champion Tadej Pogačar chases a historic fifth victory in a row.

He's won the last three races he started, including Worlds and Europeans. Do you think he can do it again today?

The race gets underway in just under an hour (10.55 CEST).

Who is going to win today? Check out our analysis of the main contenders to see who are our picks.

Who will win Il Lombardia 2025? – Analysing the contenders for the final autumn Classic

Here’s more information about the route for this year. Unlike the other monuments, Il Lombardia varies more year on year, and for the 2025 edition will switch directions again with a start in Como and finish in Bergamo.

Il Lombardia 2025 route

The riders are just a few moments away from the neutralised start.

Pogačar prior to the start of the race today, honouring his teammate Rafał Majka, who is poised to retire. The Pole has been one of Pogačar’s most essential teammates over the years, and has a chance to contribute to one last major win today.

It might bear the poetic moniker of Race of the Falling Leaves due to its autumnal setting, but the weather in Lombardy is pleasant today, with the sun shining and the temperature at a mild seventeen degrees.

The first flag is waved and the riders have begun navigating the neutralised zone.

It’s an emotional day in the peloton, as many are riding the final race of their careers. As well as Majka, Louis Meintjes is another set to retire, here given a guard of honour by his colleagues.

The riders awaiting the unofficial start in Como.

Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel sharing a moment before doing battle today. These two have been the protagonists of the late-season one day races, occupying first and second place at both the Worlds and European Championships, and will face-off again one final time today.

Just one more kilometre to go until the flag drops and the race proper starts. This is a prestigious race to get into the day's break for, so there will be an eagerness among many to attack from the off.

And they're off!

OFFICIAL START

Quinn Simmons attacks right from the off - he’s a big name to be making a move so early on.

Simmons has about ten riders with him, a few seconds ahead of the peloton.

Michael Matthews is also in this group. It seems like some of the big names are determined not to just wait around today for Pogačar to do his thing, and instead try to ride on the front foot.

Pello Bilbao is another man in this group.

The peloton is about five seconds behind, and Orluis Aular has just attacked out of it to try and join the leaders.

As well as Simmons, Bilbao and Matthews, the other riders in the group are Gal Glivar, Walter Calzoni, Lucas Hamilton, Bart Lemmen, Asbjørn Hellemose, Diego Pablo Sevilla and Thibault Guernalec.

More riders have bridged up to this group, most notably Filippo Ganna.

Mattia Bais and Louis Vervaeke have also joined them.

It hasn't settled down in the peloton, with more attacks coming out of it. The lead group is about 15 seconds up the road.

230KM TO GO

Leknessund and De Marchi are the latest to try and chanse up to the leaders from the peloton.

Lionel Taminiaux has joined that duo, and is helping chase the leaders.

UAE Team Emirates XRG have Domen Novak setting a pace at the front of the peloton, but he's having a hard time controlling this. The break is almost a minute up the road, and more attacks are still coming out of the peloton.

Nairo Quintana, Staune-Mittet and Formolo were the latest to try an attack, but have been brought back.

A few riders have gone down in a crash, including Sepp Kuss. They're all back up on their feet now.

Having swelled in size with riders bridging up to it, and lost a few men from earlier, there are now 14 in the lead group: Ganna, Hamilton, Langellotti, Matthews, Hellemose, Simmons, Gilvar, Lemmen, Bilbao, Guernalec, Vervaeke, Calzoni, Koerdt and Mattia Bais.

The peloton hasn't sat up, but this break is looking good. Their lead has grown to 1:30.

220KM TO GO

In between, De Marchi, Leknessund and Taminiaux are just under a minute behind the leaders.

A first look at the breakaway up the road.

The three chasers have thrown in the towel and sat up, and will allow themselves to be brought back into the peloton.

The three chasers have indeed been caught.

The peloton is being led by a Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe domestique, Matteo Sobrero, rather than one of the UAE contingent. They must be unhappy at having missed the break.

Sobrero is now on Novak’s wheel, as UAE resume control.

They’re currently working to control the break, rather than bring it back. It seems like the 14 riders up the road might indeed be our break of the day.

The break's lead has grown to just over two minutes, and continues to get bigger.

210KM TO GO

The break at the front of the race.

The riders are making their way up the first climb of the day, and it's a famous one - the Madonna del Ghisallo, the climb most historically associated with the Tour of Lombardy.

MADONNA DEL GHISALLO

It’s an iconic climb, and is home to a cycling museum, but is no longer one of the key climbs in terms of determining how the race unfolds.

Madonna del Ghisallo is being ascended via its gentler side, which averages 3.9% for 8.8km.

The break pass over the top of the familiar Madonna del Ghisallo church, with a lead of about 2:20 over the peloton.

200KM TO GO

There’s a bit of a battle at the front of the peloton as they go over the climb’s summit, with teams wanting to be well-positioned for the descent.

Tom Pidcock has gone down in a crash on the descent. He’s back up and riding and looks OK, but that’s far from ideal.

Pidcock’s fall shows just why there was a scramble for position ahead of this descent - it’s a steep one, steeper than the way up.

Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe’s Jan Tratnik is leading the peloton, his team still assisting UAE Team Emirates XRG with the pace-setting. That may frustrate some teams, who will see the best way of defeating the team and their leader Tadej Pogačar by all uniting against them.

Red Bull's Matteo Sobrero, leading the peloton.

Pidcock is at the back of the peloton following his crash, and doesn't look happy with his bike. He might be about to have a change.

The break's lead remains at about 2:15.

190KM TO GO

It seems that it was his shoes that Pidcock wasn't happy with - he's just had them replaced.

There have been splits in the peloton in the aftermath of that descent. he front peloton is very large still, but Pidcock isn't in it.

The gap between the break and the peloton remains at about 2:15, but there's now a group of stragglers 45 seconds behind the latter.

180KM TO GO

Some big names have been caught out on the group behind the peloton - as well as Pidcock, Thymen Arensman and Romain Grégoire are here.

The iconic sight of Madonna del Ghisallo, chiming its bells as the riders ascended to the peak.

Toms Skujiņš has just tried an attack from out the blue, only to sit back after remonstrating with the TV moto.

It seems the riders who had been caught out in the split are now back in the peloton. Meanwhile the break's lead is two minutes.

170KM TO GO

Mattias Skjelmose was another rider who had been caught out in the split. He's now riding at the back of the peloton.

2:30 is the gap as the riders take on the second of the day's eight climbs, San Gottardo.

160KM TO GO

Adam Yates is on bidon duty for UAE, picking some up out the back of the peloton. The fact a rider as strong as him is doing so shows just how strong their line-up is - in addition to Pogačar, they also have Isaac del Toro, Jay Vine and Pavel Sivakov riding.

Despite their strength, it’s still Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe who are doing the bulk of the work leading the peloton. This is some display of confidence in their leader Primož Roglič, given Pogačar’s status as overwhelming favourite.

Pogačar waxed lyrical about the strength of his team prior to the race.

'The legs are good, the team is strong' - Tadej Pogačar backed by UAE super team for Il Lombardia record bid

The gap between the leaders and the peloton is the highest it's been all day, surpassing three minutes for the first time.

150KM TO GO

One team that hasn’t put their nose to the wind in the peloton is Remco Evenepoel’s Soudal-QuickStep. That doesn’t mean the team don’t believe they can challenge Pogačar - instead, they’ve been proactive in at least trying to put him under pressure, by getting Louis Vervaeke in the break.

The climbs start to come thick and fast now. They’ve just started the Roncola, which lasts for 7.5km at an average of 7.4%.

RONCOLA

Remco Evenepoel is seen as the man most likely to take the race to Pogačar, and potentially challenge him for the win. Here’s what the Belgian had to say regarding his chances prior to the race.

'Can I beat Tadej? Why not? Otherwise I wouldn't be here' – Remco Evenepoel ambitious and emotional in last race for Soudal-QuickStep

Uno-X Mobility teammates Andreas Leknessund and Johannes Kulset touched wheels, but both are OK.

The whittling down process has begun. Riders are starting to be dropped out the back of the peloton as they ascend the climb.

The climb is also claiming victims in the break - Matthews’ teammate Hellemose is being distanced.

The gap's come down on this climb, as UAE set a tempo. It's now at 2:30.

140KM TO GO

The break reaches the top of the climb still mostly intact, with only Hellemose and Guernalec dropped from it so far.

UAE Team Emirates XRG have taken full control of the peloton, leading it all the way up this climb.

The peloton has now also crested the climb, 2:30 behind the leaders.

One of the most exciting names on the startlist today is Paul Seixas, making his monument debut at the age of just 19.Third-place at the European Championships confirmed that he might be one of the few riders in the world able to compare with Tadej Pogačar in terms of pure talent - but surely this year’s Il Lombardia will come too soon in his career for him to take him on today?

'When you race against Pogačar, you take a slap in the face but I'm happy to take them' - Paul Seixas ready for Il Lombardia debut

UAE’s domestique Novak was one of the riders dropped on the climb having done lots of work for his team setting the pace at the front of the peloton, but is trying to bridge back up to the peloton to do another shift.

The gap's dowo to 2 minutes for the first time in a while. UAE Team Emirates XRG are starting to up the pace in the peloton, with Sivakov setting the pace.

130KM TO GO

There’s another upping of the pace at the front of the peloton, in preparation for the descent that follows the false-flat after the peak of the Roncola climb.

Remco Evenepoel, still keeping his head down in the peloton.

The gap continues to fall as UAE ride at the front. It's now down to 1:50.

120KM TO GO

There's been a split in the peloton, under the pressure of UAE's pace.

This one's a more serious one than before - the front group is small, with maybe about 30 riders in it.

Ben Healy is caught out in the second group.

Up ahead, the break are starting the latest climb, Berbenno. This one averages 4.9% for 6.9km.

BERBENNO

Hamilton is dropped out of the break as they start climbing, seemingly with a mechanical issue of some kind.

Like Healy, Paul Seixas has also been caught out the wrong side of the split in the peloton.

Hamilton is back in the lead group, and it's his Ineos teammate Langellotti who is setting the pace. They seem to be wanting to set something up for Ganna.

The Healy / Seixas group is back with the peloton, as they take on the climb.

UAE Team Emirates XRG continue to press on on the climb, and have brought the leaders to within 1:40.

110KM TO GO

The break reach the top of the climb short another man, with Glivar dropped and absorbed back into the peloton.

As we mentioned earlier in the day, this race will be the last in the career of many illustrious riders taking part today. Be sure to read more about their send offs.

Send-offs for Rafał Majka, Pieter Serry, Salvatore Puccio and more retiring riders at Il Lombardia – Gallery

The peloton has calmed down somewhat, and for the first time in a while the break has increased its lead. They now have 2 minutes on the peloton again.

100KM TO GO

This descent has been less technical and steep as the previous ones, and therefore there’s been less stress and a slower relative pace in the peloton.

Everything’s gone smoothly so far for Tadej Pogačar today, who is still poised to make history by becoming the first man to win five consecutive editions of Il Lombardia.

Victory here would also see Pogačar equal Italian legend Fausto Coppi as joint-record holder for most number of victories of Il Lombardia. We did a deep dive on both riders’ history at this race.

Emulating Il Campionissimo – Tadej Pogačar, Fausto Coppi and two vastly different paths to Il Lombardia immortality

It's much calmer than it was in the peloton. The gap's continuing to grow, now rising to over 2:30.

The gap continues to rise, now up to three minutes.

90KM TO GO

Incidentally, the break is now down to 10 riders - Lucas Hamilton was dropped out of it and back into the peloton on the previous climb, leaving Ganna with just one teammate.

We're beginning the longest climb of the day, the 11.7km Passo della Crocetta, which rises at 5.8%.

PASSO DELLA CROCETTA

Ineos are pushing on at the foot of this climb, with Ganna upping the pace and Langellotti on his wheel.

Jai Hindley has crashed at the foot of the climb. It's not serious, and he's riding again, but has inconvenienced him at a potentially key moment of the race.

There’s a line of four UAE domestiques at the front of the peloton, with Pogačar on their wheel.

Ganna continues to do much of the work in the break. It seems he’s on domestique duty for Langellotti, rather than the other way around.

Lemmen is the first rider to be dropped from the lead group on this climb.

Simmons has attacked out the lead group, and has a gap.

This move has split up the break. Ganna, Bilbao, Matthews and Vervaeke are clear of the other four.

Simmons is looking great. He leads that chasing four by 14 seconds.

Simmons has 25 seconds on the chasing quartet of Ganna, Bilbao, Matthews and Vervaeke, while the peloton is 3:10 adrift.

80KM TO GO

Hindley is at the back of the peloton, having gone down in a crash at the start of the climb.

Simmons is riding this climb faster than anyone else. He's grown his lead to 45 seconds over the chasers as he nears the summit, and 3:15 over the peloton.

The riders have crested the climb, but won’t enjoy must respite From here it’s a few kilometres of rolling roads before they start climbing again, this time up the 2.6km 6.9% Zambla Alta.

Simmons has over a minute's lead now over the four chasers. His gap to the peloton, meanwhile, is holding steady, at 3:10.

70KM TO GO

As well as Pogačar and Evenepoel, who else should we be looking out for the win today?

Tom Pidcock can be a bit hit and miss in these long, major classics, but with his best legs he;s a major danger. There were signs that he’s recovered well from this Vuelta efforts when he placed second at the Giro dell'Emilia, and, though (surprisingly) he’s never actually ridden Il Lombardia before, it’s a parcours that should suit him.

Ben Healy has become one of the most reliable riders in the peloton in these kinds of races, placing third at both the World Championships and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and fourth at Strade Bianche. Can he find something extra to make the higher steps of the podium this time?

And what about Isaac del Toro? The young prodigy is in the unusual position of being Tadej Pogačar’s teammate, and therefore not necessarily riding for himself. But his recent prolific form suggests he’s one of the few who might be able to follow a Pogačar attack - and if he does, what will UAE’s tactics be?

For now, Quinn Simmons continues to lead the race, his lead getting bigger and bigger. He’s now out front by 1:30 over the chase group, who are now almost closer to the peloton than they are to him.

A surprise here, as one of the favourites we've just mentioned, Ben Healy, has been dropped. Apologies to any fans of the Irishman for jinxing his chances.

HEALY DROPPED

UAE are making things hard for the others on the Zambla Alta, which they’re climbing now. Healy is one of several dropped, though most of the favourites remain.

ZAMBLA ALTA

Simmons has reached the top of the climb, his lead over the chasers now over two minutes, and still three minutes over the peloton.

60KM TO GO

Simmons is flying down this descent in an attempt to grow his lead yet more, but the peloton are matching him for now, the gap remaining at three minutes. Could that be enough to keep him in contention for a high finish - and maybe even the win?

Simmons is at the bottom of the descent, and now rides the 10m or so until the foot of the penultimate climb of the day, Passo di Ganda. He leads the peloton by 2:55, with the Ganna chase group in between, just under a minute ahead of the peloton.

50KM TO GO

This flat stretch will be where we anticipate UAE to really start to wind things up for Tadej Pogačar ahead of an expected attack on the Passo di Ganda. With an average of 7.1%, and lasting 9.3km, it’s the hardest of the day, and near enough for the finish for a fully-committed solo move.

That’s exactly what UAE are doing, and their collective strength is going to be very hard for Simmons to withhold Sivakov is the leading right now, and burying himself at the front.

Simmons lead is dropping much yet, but is dropping nonetheless, and is now down to 2:40.

Simmons is just another 1km away from the all-important penultimate climb.

Simmons is on the climb! This is likely to be the key moment of the race.

PASSO DE GANDA

For the first time, Soudal-QuickStep are making a move. They’ve placed themselves at the front of the peloton as they approach the climb.

Matthews and Vervaeke have dropped Ganna and Bilbao, who have been caught by the peloton.

The peloton begin the climb, about 2:30 after Simmons.

40KM TO GO

Sivankov is done at the front, and now Majka takes over.

Pogačar is well-positioned, but winning this race won't just require dropping everyone in the peloton - he still has to catch Simmons, too.

Majka leads, followed by Vine, Pogačar and Del Toro. Then comes a group of Soudal riders, and Adam Yates.

Majka' done, and it's Vine's turn. Pogačar had the presence of mind to give his retiring teammate a salute as he swung off.

Vine has reduced the peloton to about 20 riders.

Evenepoel, Alaphilippe, Storer, Seixas are all still there.

Pidcock is dropped!

Vine only has Del Toro, Pogačar, Evenepoel, Seixas and Storer left with him.

Pog's second in wheel, and surely about to attack...

Meanwhile Simmons' lead is down to just 1:20.

The move's been made! About 37km from the finish.

POGACAR ATTACKS

Nobody has managed to follow, and his lead is already over five seconds.

Evenepoel leads the chase, with Storer, Seixas and Del Toro on his wheel.

Evenepoel isn't getting any assistance in this chase. They’re already 40 seconds behind Pogačar.

Pogačar has Simmons in his sights.

The catch is made. Does Simmons have any hope of holding onto his wheel for the remaining 3km of the climb?

Simmons' resistance lasted only a few hundred metres. He's been dropped, and Pogačar now leads the race, with just under 34km to ride.

POGACAR DROPS SIMMONS

Seixas has been dropped from the chase group. Nevertheless, this has been another sensational ride by the teenager, that confirms his breathtaking talent.

Evenepoel, Del Toro and Storer are 25 seconds behind Simmons.

Behind the Evenepoel trio is Seixas, and behind him is a chase group containing Vine, Roglic, Pidcock, Alaphilippe, Bernal and Uijtdebroeks.

Pogačar's lead over Simmons is up to over a minute as he nears the top of the climb.

Evenepoel and Storer have dropped Del Toro.

Evenepoel accelerates as he and Storer catch and pass Simmons.

Evenepoel has a small gap on both Simmons and Storer, who are having to dig deep to try to make it back to his wheel.

Pogačar reaches the top of the climb, his lead over Evenepoel/Simmons/Storer 1:15.

30KM TO GO

Simmons is cracking now - he's been dropped by Evenepoel and Storer.

Richard Carapaz has crashed on the descent.

This was the moment the world champion made his move. Unusually, he made it with an acceleration out the saddle, rather than the usual seated position we've grown so used to these past two years.

Storer is sticking gallantly to Evenepoel's wheel on this descent. His has been perhaps the revelatory ride of this race.

Evenepoel and Storer don't have the podium spots sewn up just yet. Simmons is only 14 seconds behind, and Del Toro another 7 seconds.

Storer is now struggling to hold Evenepoel's wheel, and is about one second behind as they continue to descend.

Pogačar enters the final 20km, leading Evenepoel and Storer by 1:20, and Simmons by 1:45.

20KM TO GO

You sense the only way Pogačar could lose this race is if he makes a mistake on this tricky, technical, fast descent, but he’s been flawless on it so far.

Here was the moment shortly after Pogačar dropped Simmons to move into the race lead - and to what looks set to be another victory.

Del Toro has caught up to Simmons on the descent, but they're a whole 40 seconds behind Evenepoel and Storer.

Evenepoel has now dropped Storer for good. The Australian can no longer see his former companion up the road on the many hairpins of this descent.

Pogačar has reached the bottom of the descent, with a lead of 1:15 over Evenepoel.

Evenepoel is still looking strong, and has actually reduced the gap to the leader to 1:10. But that's surely too much to bridge in the final 10km.

Meanwhile Storer is 15 seconds behind Evenepoel, and Simmons and Del Toro just over a minute.

10KM TO GO

Chapeau to Quinn Simmons, who did his best to animate this race, and looks set to be awarded with a high finish for his efforts.

Pogačar's lead on Evenepoel is growing again, now up to 1:25.

Pogačar rides under the 5km to go banner, his lead still at 1:25. That might fall short of the enormous 3:16 he won last year's edition by, but is still huge.

5KM TO GO

Pogačar begins the final climb of the day, the 1.3km, 7.4% Colle Aperto.

COLLE APERTO

There are huge crowds on this climb, and they're roaring Pogačar up it.

Problem for Evenepoel! The road narrowed in front of him on the climb so much so that the moto ahead of him had to stop, holding Evenepoel up for a precious few seconds.

Evenepoel seems to have momentum again, and still leads Storer by a minute. His second-place looks safe.

Here he is, Pogačar's into the final kilometre.

1KM TO GO

Another race, another Tadej Pogačar victory. He's made it five in a row at Il Lombardia - the first rider to ever do so!

POGACAR WINS

Here comes Evenepoel, he is indeed going to hold on for second.

Evenepoel finishes second, 1:48 behind the winner. He doesn't look too disappointed, offering a wave to the crowd as he crosses the line.

Now here comes Storer for third-place.

He crosses the line with a fist bump - that's a sensational result for the Australian and his Tudor Pro Cycling team.

Simmons arrives home for fourth. He might be off the podium, but looks happy regardless, also celebrating and acknowledging the crowd as he crosses the line.

A group of five riders joined together to sprint for 5th. Del Toro won it, ahead of Pidcock, Seixas, Bernal and then Vine.

That's five wins for Tadej Pogačar at Il Lombardia, equalling Fasuto Coppi’s record. And not just that - it’s his fifth Lombardia in a row, making him the first rider to do that in any monument.

And that ‘five’ Pogačar is celebrating could also refer to another feat - in winning today, he becomes the first rider ever to make the podium in every monument in the same season.

In the all-time list of most monument wins, the victory puts Pogačar in third, clear of Costante Girardengo on nine and just one away from Roger De Vlaeminck on 11 - but still well behind Eddy Merckx, who has 19.

We shouldn’t lose sight of how great Evenepoel has been in this latter part of the season, despite again being outclassed by Pogačar. Since the Worlds, his results have been 1st (World time trial) 2nd (Worlds road race), 1st (European time trial), 2nd (European road race) and 2nd (Il Lombardia) - if it weren’t for Pogačar, he’d have won all five.

That was some way to bid farewell to his Soudal-QuickStep, ahead of his move to Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe

And what about Michael Storer? While a Pogačar / Evenepoel 1-2 was predicted by most, you’d have got very long odds on Storer completing the podium. This results suggest he could be a force in the one day classics, having impressed so much in stage races earlier in the year.

Be sure to relive the action with our full report of how today's race unfolded

Il Lombardia: Unparalleled Tadej Pogačar solos to record-breaking fifth consecutive victory and 10th Monument title

Thanks for joining us today, for another transcendent display from Tadej Pogačar, rounding off one of the best individual seasons of all-time - arguably even better than his 2024.

And thanks for joining us for this whole road racing season. While that’s it for the World Tour in 2025, there’s plenty of racing to come imminently off road - and we’ll be back tomorrow with live coverage of the men’s elite race of the World Gravel Championships, where the likes of Tom Pidcock, Tim Wellens and Tim Merlier are all set to face off.