There is still racing to follow on the calendar in the Veneto, in China and in France, but for many, Il Lombardia represents the symbolic end of the cycling season. Just as Milan-San Remo’s passage over the Turchino heralds the coming of spring, the Race of the Falling Leaves hints at the arrival of winter.
That said, an autumn heatwave in northern Italy means that temperatures should top 25°C on the road to Bergamo, where a field featuring some of the most notable performers of the past summer will contest the spoils.
Tadej Pogačar is seeking to emulate Fausto Coppi and Alfredo Binda with his third straight win, while his compatriot Primož Roglič will be aiming to end his time at Jumbo-Visma on a high note.
Remco Evenepoel leads a Soudal-QuickStep team still reeling from news of the proposed merger with Jumbo-Visma, while 2018 winner Thibaut Pinot bids farewell to the professional peloton on some of his favourite roads. Cyclingnews casts a glance over some of the riders to watch on Saturday.
Winner in 2021 and 2022, Tadej Pogačar is looking to maintain his 100% record at Il Lombardia and become the first man to claim the Race of the Falling Leaves three times in a row since Fausto Coppi.
After a glorious, all-action Spring and a bruising Tour de France, Pogačar opted against the Vuelta a España and the Canadian WorldTour races in the latter part of the season, limiting himself instead to a series of one-day races in Italy.
Pogačar has been aggressive on Italian roads, but he hasn’t yet been able to overwhelm his rivals as he did back in the Spring. His condition, however, has looked to be in crescendo since he returned to action at the Giro della Toscana, and he will have drawn encouragement from his second-place finish at the Giro dell’Emilia.
Jumbo-Visma’s dominance has ultimately proved to be the story of the season, but that will only make Pogačar even keener to have the last word.
Whatever happens on Saturday, Primož Roglič will be in the headlines as he makes his final appearance in Jumbo-Visma’s yellow and black jersey before leaving for pastures new. The Slovenian matter-of-factly confirmed his departure on the start line of the Giro dell’Emilia and then equally matter-of-factly scorched to victory four hours later atop the San Luca.
On Tuesday, Roglič wasn’t able to replicate his 2019 Tre Valli Varesine…
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