Just like at the World Championships and European Championships, there will be no way around Tadej Pogacar at the Tour of Lombardy. The Slovenian can win the fall one-day classic for the fifth time in a row on Saturday.
11.10.2025, 05:00
11.10.2025, 07:26
SDA
The last four editions of the Tour of Lombardy, which this year leads over 238 km and more than 4500 meters of altitude from Como to Bergamo, have all been the prey of the high-flyer Pogacar. Last year, the Belgian Remco Evenepoel finished second, more than three minutes behind.
Four consecutive victories in Lombardy had previously only been achieved by the Italian Fausto Coppi, from 1946 to 1949. The Campionissimo, who died at the age of just 40, also triumphed in his home race in 1954. It seems inevitable that Pogacar will equal Coppi's record win on Saturday. The 27-year-old Slovenian has recently crushed the competition at the World Championships in Rwanda and the European Championships in France. Pogacar's attacks of up to 100 km before the finish were no match for him. Not even Evenepoel, the time trial world and European champion, who finished second twice.
Pogacar also triumphed last Tuesday, when he took part in a preparatory race below the World Tour with Tre Valli Varesine, in his usual manner. The four-time Tour de France winner launched the decisive attack for his 19th victory of the season relatively late, with 22 kilometers remaining to the finish.
Pogacar in top form
However, Pogacar did not only show outstanding performances in the fall or summer - with his superior fourth overall Tour de France victory. He also set standards in the spring. Not only did he win the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but he also finished on the podium in the other two cycling monuments. In the triumphs of Dutchman Mathieu van der Poel, he finished third in Milan-Sanremo and second in Paris-Roubaix.
The "cannibal of the 21st century" - in reference to Eddy Merckx, the cycling dominator of the 1970s - has already won nine monuments. Everything is in place for number 10 on Saturday. "The form is right, the legs are good and the team is strong," says the serial winner in the UAE team's communiqué, confidently looking ahead to his personal last race of the season.
Two Swiss at the start
With Marc Hirschi and Roland Thalmann, there are also two Swiss riders at the start in Como. The duo will be riding for the Swiss team Tudor, with whom Julian Alaphilippe is also registered. The Frenchman, who won the World Tour race in Montreal in September, finished third on the podium at Tre Valli Varesine.
Oliver Zaugg was the last Swiss rider to win the Tour of Lombardy in 2011. In the years before the turn of the millennium, Oscar Camenzind (1998), Pascal Richard (1993) and Tony Rominger (1989 and 1992) were successful.
