Tadej Pogacar is looking to end a stellar year on a high as he leads UAE Team Emirates into the into the final monument of the season - Il Lombardia.
The fifth and final monument of the 2024 season, ‘The Race of the Falling Leaves’ has produced a handful of Pogacar’s standout performances, with the Slovenian securing victory in the last three editions of the race.
After what has been an extraordinary season, Pogacar, winner of this year's Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and World Championship, will be looking to secure a fourth successive Il Lombardia title to add to his illustrious triple crown and five one-day wins in 2024.
Pogacar is no stranger to one-day racing, winning the Strade Bianche, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and most recently at the World Championships in Zurich, where he demonstrated once again that he is the premier cyclist on the planet with a 100km solo attack to take the World Champion jersey.
“It’s been an amazing season and I want nothing more than to finish it off in the best way possible. My first outing as world champion at Giro dell’Emilia couldn’t have gone better, to take my first win in that jersey is something I won’t forget," Pogacar said.
"I can’t wait for Il Lombardia. Every day that you wear the rainbow jersey you need to prove you are still the best. I have an amazing team behind me and think we have a great chance of winning again.”
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UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar is lifted by teammates and staff members on the podium after winning the Tour de France. Reuters -
UAE Team Emirates team's Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar holds up his bike. AFP -
Tour de France winner Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, Eritrea's Biniam Girmay, wearing the best sprinter's green jersey, Ecuador's Richard Carapaz, wearing the best climber's dotted jersey, and Belgium's Remco Evenepoel, wearing the best young rider's white jersey. AP -
UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates on the podium after winning stage 21 and winning the Tour de France. Reuters -
UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates after winning stage 21. Reuters -
UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar winning the Tour de France. Reuters -
Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, rides during stage 21. AP -
UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar on his way to winning the Tour de France. Reuters -
UAE Team Emirates' Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar warms up prior to heading out. AFP -
Belgium's Wout van Aert crosses the line. AP -
Latvia's Krists Neilands celebrates with his family after crossing the finish line. AP -
Britain's Mark Cavendish greets spectators when arriving at the finish line of his final Tour de France. AP -
British rider Mark Cavendish crosses the finish line. EPA -
Alpecin-Deceuninck team's Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen cycles during the 21st and final stage of the 111th edition of the Tour de France. AFP -
Switzerland's Silvan Dillier is cheered on by Belgium fans. AP
Pogacar and team are likely to face stiff competition from Ineos Grenadier rider Tim Pidcock. After a fine start to the seasonm winning Amstel Gold, the Briton will be aiming to hit top form once again after battling through illness and injury this season.
Double Olympic gold nedallist Remco Evenepoel will be setting his sights on adding to his one-day palmares which already includes two monument wins at Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2022 and 2023. The Belgian, who will be donning his new golden bike, has had some memorable battles with Pogacar in recent years.
The 118th edition of Il Lombardia takes place on Saturday. The riders will battle it out over 252km from Bergamo to Como. The last of the five monuments on the calendar will provide ferocious racing with 4,800m of climbing pushing the riders to their limits. The famous Colma di Sormano (13.1km at 6.5%) with 45km to go could be a decisive moment in the race.
UAE Team Emirates enter Il Lombardia on the verge of rewriting cycling’s record books, with 80 wins already this season they are closing in on the 85-win milestone set by Columbia-HTC in 2009. Pogcar has won 24 of them.
