Cycling star Tadej Pogacar achieved a hat-trick in the Tour of Lombardy and made an impressive comeback after two and a half months without a win. The two-time Tour de France champion took victory in the last big classic of the year for the third time in a row after 238 kilometers from Como to Bergamo on Saturday in the big showdown between the stars.
He won with a lead of 51 seconds over the Italian Andrea Bagioli and his Slovenian compatriot Primož Roglič. “Winning for the third time in the third participation is fantastic and unbelievable. It’s a dream to win here solo,” said the 25-year-old after his coup.
Evenepoel lets things go
After the last climb at Madonna del Ghisallo, Pogacar broke away from a small leading group around 30 kilometers from the finish and increased his lead on the furious descent. Ten kilometers before the finish, the Slovenian had problems with cramps in his thigh.
Nevertheless, the pursuers could no longer get close. His big rival Remco Evenepoel from Belgium, on the other hand, had to pull away on the last climb and played no role after falling early in the race. “I know the climb very well and didn’t give up until the top to get away from the group. “I gave it my all on the descent,” added Pogacar.
Giro winner Roglič, who will ride for the German Bora-hansgrohe team next year, initially made it into the top group with the last of his strength. But then he had nothing left to oppose his compatriot. In the final sprint of the chasing group, he stayed just ahead of the fourth-placed Russian Alexander Vlasov, with whom he will race together at Bora next year.
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Pogacar is the first rider since the legend Fausto Coppi to win the Tour of Lombardy three times in a row. The Italian even won the last of the five cycling monuments four times in a row from 1946 to 1949. For Pogacar it was the first success this season since July 22nd, when he won the penultimate stage of the Tour.
