Tadej Pogakar celebrates his victory at the Tour of Lombardy.
Imago Images / LaPresse

Tadej Pogakar won his second major classic this year. The 23-year-old Slovene won Lombardy’s 115th Tour on Saturday, making him the first professional cyclist since Bernard Hinault in 1979 to win the Tour de France and the Italian Monument in the same year. After 239 km from Como to Bergamo, Pogacar prevailed in the sprint against the Italian Fausto Masnada in the “Race of Falling Leaves”. In the pursuit group sprint, Brit Adam Yates finished third, 51 seconds behind.

“It’s madness. To have a win like this at the end of the season,” Pogakar said. “I knew Masnada knew the roads here well and he would catch me. He didn’t work with me then, but luckily we had enough of an edge.”

The oppressor at the odds – only Masnada gets caught

Offering little enthusiasm after a run of over 200 km, Pogacar launched the decisive attack at Paso de Ganda, 35 km from the finish. A group of nine gathered behind the Tour winner, along with world champions Julian Alaphilippe, Alejandro Valverde, Vuelta winner Primoz Rogic and Yates. As the top drivers disagreed on Pogakar’s hunt, outsider Masnada attacked the descent and caught up with Pogakar. In the sprint, however, the Slovenian was unbeaten and won at Il Lombardia on his first participation. Pogacar had previously won Lige-Bastogne-Lige that year, his first great classic.

German drivers have no chance without chess

German drivers played no part in the hunt through the north of Italy on seven climbs. Maximilian Schachmann, who finished seventh last year, was not nominated by his Bora-Hansgrohe team. The German champions are still suffering the consequences of last week’s fall at Paris-Roubaix. The Lombardy Tour should really be the highlight of the autumn race for Schachmann.

115th Tour of Lombardy, Como-Bergamo (239 km)

1. Tadej Pogakar (Slovenia) – UAE Team Emirates 6:01:39 h; 2. Fausto Masnada (Italy) – Deceuninck-Quick-Step + 0 sec .; 3. Adam Yates (Great Britain) – Ineos Grenadiers + 51; 4. Primoz Rogi (Slovenia) – Jumbo-Visma; 5. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spain) – Movistar team; 6. Julian Alaphilippe (France) – Disunink-Quick-Step; 7. David Gaudeau (France) – GROUPMA-FDJ; 8. Romain Bardet (France) – Team DSM; 9. Michael Woods (Canada) – Israel Start-up Nation; 10. Sergio Andres Higuita García (Colombia) – EF Education-Nippo + 2:25 min. … 93. Simon Geschke (Freiburg im Breisgau) – Cofidis + 21:38; Emanuel Buchmann (Lochau/Austria) – Bora-Hansgrohe retired