Il Lombardia: Tadej Pogačar Takes His Fifth Falling Leaf

Tadej Pogačar makes history with unprecedented Monument dominance as Il Lombardia crowns its king once more

BERGAMO, Italy (10 October 2025) — The autumn light faded over Lombardy’s high passes when Tadej Pogačar did what he has now done five times in succession—what no rider in the 119-year history of the Monument Classics had ever managed before. On the savage slopes of the Passo di Ganda, with 37 kilometers still separating him from Bergamo, the double world champion in the rainbow jersey simply rode away from the last vestiges of opposition, leaving even Remco Evenepoel—his eternal rival—to chase shadows through the falling leaves.

When Pogačar crossed the line on the Via Vittorio Emanuele II after 5 hours, 45 minutes and 53 seconds of racing, he had carved out a gap of 1’48” to Evenepoel and written his name into cycling folklore in letters that may never be erased. Five consecutive victories in a Monument. Five editions entered, five editions won. The feat eluded Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, and every other giant who has graced this sport.

“To win Il Lombardia five times in a row, every time I started, it feels like this race really suits me,” Pogačar said seconds after dismounting. His voice carried the tremor of emotion that only arrives when history happens in real time. “But at the same time I have such a good team around me, we could pull it and I owe a big thank you to my team-mates. Domen [Novak] did a fantastic job, then Pavel [Sivakov] was also really impressive today in the chase and all the guys protecting me in the final climb, it was a top class work, just impressive from all my team-mates.”

THE OPENING SALVOS

The 119th edition of Il Lombardia presented by Crédit Agricole promised 241 kilometers of suffering from Como to Bergamo—4,400 meters of climbing strung together with barely a meter of flat road between. Big crowds filled Como’s Piazza Cavour as 166 riders rolled out toward kilometer zero at 11:05 on a crisp Saturday morning. Donovan Grondin of Arkéa-B&B Hotels did not start.

The route laid out a cavalcade of Lombardian brutality: Ghisallo, Roncola, Berbenno, Dossena, Zambla Alta, and finally the Passo di Ganda, each one sharpening the selection, each one testing the mettle of the peloton.

Quinn Simmons attacked almost immediately after the flag dropped. Ten riders gained a gap, then Mattia Bais bridged up to make it eleven. By the 20-kilometer mark, the lead group had swelled to 14 riders. A chasing trio tried to make contact but the peloton swallowed them back.

Sepp Kuss crashed early. Behind, Primož Roglič’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team moved to the front as the riders approached the Madonna del Ghisallo, the spiritual home of Italian cycling.

GHISALLO AND THE FIRST SELECTION

The breakaway hit the Ghisallo with a 2’15” advantage. UAE Team Emirates and Bora-Hansgrohe controlled the peloton, keeping the gap manageable. Thomas Pidcock slid out on a corner, then suffered shoe issues that forced him to fix his equipment while the race continued.

The beauty of Ghisallo unfolded around them—the legendary chapel perched above Lake Como, the hairpins snaking through autumn-touched trees, the crowds six and seven deep along the roadside. Two former winners sat in the peloton, biding their time.

“People think it’s easy for me to win, but it’s not,” Pogačar had said before the race. Roglič had added: “If Pogačar’s in, it’s always tough.” Ben Healy hoped he had “the same legs as at the Worlds,” while Paul Seixas promised to “give it everything I’ve got.” Christian Scaroni admitted: “It’s a tough one for us Italians today.” Evenepoel declared simply: “If I’m here, it’s because I want to win.” Pidcock reflected: “You can feel the history in the air here.”

The riders crested the Ghisallo and plunged toward the next challenge. The Roncola climb began with gradients reaching 17% at the Valico di Valpiana. The breakaway’s gap held at 2’18”. Marc Hirschi lost contact on the steep gradients. The leaders crested the summit and began the technical descent. Thibault Guernalec and Andreas Hellemose dropped from the breakaway on the way down.

At the bottom, the riders hit Berbenno. Filippo Ganna pulled the breakaway group as they tackled the next climb. With 100 kilometers remaining, UAE Team Emirates looked firmly in control. Two more riders—Glivar and Langellotti—dropped from the lead group.

THE RACE IGNITES

The peloton crossed flat ground before the Passo della Crocetta. Jai Hindley crashed but remounted. Rafal Majka—riding his final professional race—pedaled through his last kilometers at the front of the bunch, knowing his career would end where it had flourished, helping Tadej Pogačar win.

The riders climbed toward the Passo della Crocetta. Simmons accelerated from the breakaway, opening a 15-second gap that grew to 45 seconds, then 1’15”. Sivakov and Majka set the tempo behind, utterly unshakable in their mission.

UAE Team Emirates still had strong numbers with Pogačar as Simmons climbed strongly ahead. Ben Healy began to struggle. Hindley dropped back through the gruppetto.

The descent toward Passo di Ganda began. The peloton clawed back time on Simmons. Teams jockeyed for position before the decisive climb. UAE cranked up the pace, blistering the peloton and shedding riders quickly.

GANDA: WHERE HISTORY HAPPENED

Six riders remained: Jay Vine, Pogačar, Isaac Del Toro, Evenepoel, Michael Storer, and Paul Seixas. The Passo di Ganda—15 kilometers of climbing with an average gradient of 7%—rose before them.

Pogačar attacked.

The acceleration looked smooth, almost casual, yet it proved so devastating that none could respond. The double world champion put 35 seconds into Simmons within minutes, then caught and dropped the American. The gap to the chasers grew to 1’05” as Pogačar crested the climb solo, his rainbow jersey disappearing over the summit.

“Tadej’s team was going quite fast already from the bottom of Passo Ganda,” Evenepoel explained afterward. “We were only five or six guys left, then he attacked. At that moment, it was just about finding my own rhythm and ride as fast as possible. I tried but in the end, Tadej was the strongest again.”

Richard Carapaz crashed on the descent. Pogačar extended his advantage on the technical roads dropping toward Bergamo. With 20 kilometers remaining, Evenepoel dropped Storer from the chase group. Del Toro joined Simmons, the two pursuing the podium places.

THE FINAL RECKONING

Pogačar entered Bergamo with history within his grasp. The final climb to Bergamo Alta began—through the narrow streets of the upper city, across 200 meters of pebble paving at Largo Aperto, gradients never falling below 10% and reaching 12% in places.

The rainbow jersey flew through the ancient Porta Sant’Agostino with 1,800 meters remaining. The road bent wide to the left after the flamme rouge. The home stretch—800 meters long on 7.5-meter-wide asphalt—ran initially downward before leveling out.

Pogačar crossed the finish line alone, arms spread wide, his fifth consecutive Lombardia victory complete. Evenepoel finished second at 1’48”. Storer took third at 3’14”, becoming only the second Australian on the Lombardia podium, 39 years after Phil Anderson. Simmons rolled in fourth at 3’39”, his bold breakaway rewarded with the Gazzetta dello Sport’s Pier Luigi Todisco memorial prize for first over the Ghisallo. Del Toro completed the top five at 4’16”.

THE WORDS OF CHAMPIONS

“I had goose bumps during the race,” Pogačar said during the winner’s press conference. “There was an amazing atmosphere. This is how it should be done by the cycling fans. It was beautiful to ride in Italy today. Il Lombardia is one of the longest and toughest races of the year. Isaac Del Toro also deserved his chance to play his cards. All the other guys managed to do all the work so he could follow the wheels. He came really close to the podium. He has a bright future ahead of him. This fifth victory is quite special because Rafal Majka retires. He’s been my mentor and my big brother in cycling for the last five years. To win today was also his dream. After the amazing career he’s had, he guided me amazingly again today. [Bike manufacturer] Ernesto Colnago was here at the finish and Eddy Merckx called him so we talked and it was really cool, but I don’t like to be compared with others. Everyone is unique in his own way. Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix will be my next big goals but I want to relax before I think about next year. I’m happy with the way I finished it off this year.”

Evenepoel accepted his runner-up position with grace: “Second to Tadej Pogacar seems again the best result for me. My legs were feeling pretty good again, I’m just happy with the result and to end my season on a high level like this. Tadej’s team was going quite fast already from the bottom of Passo Ganda. We were only five or six guys left, then he attacked. At that moment, it was just about finding my own rhythm and ride as fast as possible. I tried but in the end, Tadej was the strongest again. It was really nice to see such a big and enthusiastic crowd. It’s amazing to see so many people on the road for us. Even if I switch team, I’m not letting the other team down, I gave my best again, I’ve finished as high as possible. I’m very happy with that way to end this chapter. I’ll take all the memories with me for the rest of my life. I’m very grateful to have been the leader of this team. Now it’s time for something new.”

Michael Storer savored his career-defining result: “It’s extremely special for me to stand on the podium of Il Lombardia along with Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel. I think it’s the most important result of my career. It’s the best way to top off what has already been a really great season for me. I’m just super happy and I’m proud of how the race went today. The team have always supported me. It’s great to be able to deliver such a big result. Tadej just rode away from everyone. He paced super hard from the bottom of the climb of Passo Ganda and I was just trying to survive to the top. My legs were broken towards the end. I could hardly turn the pedal straight anymore. Il Lombardia is a very important race, it’s a monument, it’s really special to be only the second Australian on the podium [39 years after Phil Anderson].”

HISTORY WRITTEN

The victory brought Pogačar’s 2025 Monument tally to three—the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège already in his palmares—and made him the first rider in history to reach the podium of all five Monuments in a single season. He won two, finished second at Paris-Roubaix, and third at Milano-Sanremo. Only Eddy Merckx, in 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1975, had previously won three Monuments in one year.

Pogačar now equals Coppi’s record of five Lombardia victories, though the Italian’s came over a longer span—four consecutively from 1946 to 1949, then a fifth in 1954. No rider had ever won any Monument five times consecutively.

The victory marks Pogačar’s 20th win of 2025, his 10th Monument—half of them in Lombardia alone. He becomes the first rider to win this race twice while wearing the rainbow jersey.

“Seven years in a row I’ve said this is my best season so far and I can say it again today,” he confirmed, the smile evident in his voice.

For Evenepoel, the day marked an ending of a different sort. His move to Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe now official, this race represented his farewell to the Quick-Step colors he has worn since turning professional.

The day also marked farewells for several other riders: Simone Petilli, Louis Meintjes, and Pieter Serry all concluded their professional careers on the roads of Lombardy. But Majka’s retirement resonated most deeply, the Polish climber having helped deliver one final Monument to the rider he mentored.

As the sun set over Bergamo’s Città Alta, where the race had climbed through narrow streets and over cobblestones before the final descent to the finish, one fact remained inescapable: in the history of cycling’s greatest one-day races, no rider has ever dominated a Monument as Pogačar now dominates Il Lombardia. Five starts, five victories, and counting.

The leaves will fall again next October. And somewhere, Tadej Pogačar will be waiting.

FINAL RESULTS – 119TH IL LOMBARDIA

Como to Bergamo, 241km, 4,400m elevation gain

Average speed: 41.806 km/h