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Tadej Pogacar wins the 2024 Il Lombardia

  • Ron 

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) has won the 2024 Il Lombardia, its’ 118th edition. Presented by Crédit Agricole and raced over a 255km route from Bergamo to Como, the World Champion claimed his fourth consecutive victory in the “Classic of the Falling Leaves” by attacking 48 km from the finish on the steep slopes of the Colma di Sormano. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)finished second and third, respectively.

Speaking seconds after the race finish, the winner of the 118th Il Lombardia presented by Crédit Agricole Tadej Pogacar said: “Every victory is special and today’s one is too, because the team worked so hard as we did for all the year for the successes we achieved. It was a long race and all the work was on UAE Team Emirates: we did a super good job, that’s why I am so happy for this victory. We planned to attack as I did, because we knew the race would have been hard and the final 40 km would have been a man to a man battle, so I knew that if I would have a gap on the top of the Colma di Sormano, I could keep it to the finish. And this is what happened. After the downhill I pushed hard on the following up and down sector also in order to win the mental game on the chasers. Then, In the last ten kilometers, I enjoyed the crowd. In the finale, I was just enjoying the moment with the crowd and I was thinking of the off season. After my career we’ll see where I stand in the history of cycling”.

Second for Evenepoel

Despite coming at the start of the race without too many expectations after what has been a wearing season that has seen him rack up almost 60 days since February, Evenepoel produced a gutsy display from the moment the race was ignited on the brutal slopes of Colma di Sormano, with almost 50 kilometers to go. As Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) opened a gap on the peloton, Evenepoel remained calm and rode his own pace together with two other riders, who he then quickly dispatched as soon as the descent began.

The 24-year-old continued to extend his gap on the undulating roads left until the finish, which included one more climb – San Fermo della Battaglia – and concluded a solid and impressive second, more than a minute ahead of the first chasers, a result that felt like a victory for Evenepoel, given his complicated history with Il Lombardia.

“I am happy to be on the podium today, it feels a bit like a personal victory. I didn’t have nice memories from the last time I raced Lombardia on the parcours from Bergamo to Como, back in 2020, but now to be the best of the rest makes me really proud. When the attacks came on the Sormano I just did my own pace, then on the descent I opened a gap and immediately embarked on a long time trial until the finish and made sure of giving my best. I am delighted I could do this race without any problems or bad luck, which is something that gives me confidence to come back and try to win it. It’s a nice way to end my season”, said Remco after signing off Soudal Quick-Step’s 50th podium in a Monument.

2024 Il Lombardia Final Results

  1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) – 255km in 6h04’58”, av. speed 41.921 km/h
  2. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) at 3’16”
  3. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) at 4’31”
Tags: 2024 Il Lombardia, Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar
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