Race Report: Tadej Pogačar did what Tadej Pogačar does — he attacked, crushed, and conquered. The Slovenian celebrity as soon as once more turned Il Lombardia into his private playground, blasting clear on the Passo di Ganda, looking down lone escapee Quinn Simmons, and using the ultimate 34 kilometers alone to take his fifth straight win on the Race of the Falling Leaves. Behind him, Remco Evenepoel may solely shrug and accept second, one other sufferer of Pogi’s autumn domination.
Beautiful day for a Saturday experience in Como.
The Route – Similar Roads, Similar Story
This 12 months’s 238 km version from Como to Bergamo adopted the identical demanding route as 2023: a day stacked with the Passo della Crocetta (11.7 km at 5.8%), Passo di Ganda (9.2 km at 7.3%), and the ultimate sting within the legs — the Colle Aperto (1.3 km at 7.4%). Three kilometers of twisting descent led to the end in Bergamo Alta, however as everybody within the race knew, if Pogačar was going to go, it will be lengthy earlier than the road.
And go he did.
The Break – Huge Names, Huge Gamble
From the gun, the transfer of the day shaped — a dozen strongmen looking forward to TV time and perhaps a miracle. Amongst them: Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Quinn Simmons (Lidl–Trek), Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Fast-Step), and Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike).
They have been joined by a mixture of hopefuls and hardmen: Gal Glivar (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Walter Calzoni (Q36.5), Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Bjoern Koerdt (Picnic PostNL), Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta), and Victor Langellotti (Burgos-BH).
No time to cease at considered one of our favourite accommodations – Il Perlo.
Their benefit hovered round three minutes as they scaled the Madonna del Ghisallo, climbed from the simpler facet this 12 months however descended the trickier one — simply ask Tom Pidcock, who hit the deck however bounced again on his bike like solely Pidcock can.
UAE in Command – No Surprises There
With UAE Staff Emirates XRG calling the pictures, and somewhat assist from Pink Bull–BORA-hansgrohe, the bunch was by no means going to let the escape dream too huge. Over the Roncola (9.4 km at 6.6%) and Berbenno (6.9 km at 4.9%), the tempo rose, the peloton thinned, and Pogacar’s bodyguards — Majka, Vine, and Del Toro — saved every thing neatly in management.
By the Crocetta, the leaders’ hole was down to a few minutes, and it was clear the fuse had been lit. Quinn Simmons launched from the entrance group, the American going full-send solo whereas the massive names behind started to shuffle their playing cards.
The Ganda: Pogi’s Playground
The Passo di Ganda has develop into synonymous with Pogačar’s annual masterpiece, and 2025 was no exception. Rafal Majka emptied himself first, then Jay Vine took over with a ferocious pull that shredded what was left of the contenders. Solely Pogačar, Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, Michael Storer, and Paul Seixas have been left clinging to the wheel.
After which — growth.
With slightly below six kilometers to the summit, Pogi went. No hesitation, no glances again. Evenepoel didn’t even trouble to chase — he knew.
Up forward, Simmons was using heroically however hopelessly. The world champion reeled him in with 3.1 km to go, gave him a short look, after which dropped him like a foul behavior 300 meters later. By the highest of the Ganda, Pogačar had over a minute in hand. Sport over.
The Descent to Future
Behind, Evenepoel was one of the best of the remainder, chasing alone as Storer and Simmons pale. The Belgian fought laborious, even because the bikes on the Colle Aperto momentarily slowed him — not that it mattered. There was no catching the Slovenian specific.
Pogačar flew by the outdated streets of Bergamo, arms aloft, taking his fifth consecutive Lombardia win and tying Fausto Coppi’s legendary document.
5 in a row.
The Race of the Falling Leaves — the Reign of the Rising Star.
Outcomes 2025 » 119th Il Lombardia (1.UWT)
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