Tadej Pogacar ended his season in the "best possible way" after the UAE Team Emirates rider retained his Il Lombardia title on Saturday as cycling greats Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde both ended their careers in the final monument race of the year.
Slovenian Pogacar held off Enric Mas in a two-man duel to the line after a 253-kilometre run between Bergamo and Como to gain revenge for his recent loss to the Spaniard in the Giro dell'Emilia.
Bahrain Victorious rider Mikel Landa completed the podium after failing to keep pace with the leading pair, who went after each other aggressively in an entertaining finale.
The win was the two-time Tour de France champion's seventh major win of the season and closed off a campaign which Pogacar described as "almost perfect".
“It was great to get back to racing Il Lombardia and get another victory, right in the last race of the season," Pogacar said. "I can’t even express how grateful I am to all my teammates for the fantastic support they gave me. The race developed exactly the way we wanted, I had in mind to attack on the Civiglio and so I did.
"Mas proved to be in great shape and he followed me to the finish line. We tried to cooperate and then play for the win in the sprint.
"Fortunately, the result of the duel was different from that of the Giro dell’Emilia, and I was able to win. It’s been a great season for me and it’s ended in the best possible way.”
There was no dream finish for Nibali, one of just seven riders to have won all three of cycling's Grand Tours and also a two-time winner of Il Lombardia. The "Shark of Messina" finished in 24th place after falling by the wayside on the Civiglo climb towards the end of the race.
Valverde closed out a career which brought one Grand Tour – the 2009 Vuelta a Espana – and a host of one-day titles including the 2018 world championship with a sixth place finish, over a minute behind Pogacar.
The race favourites were all content to stay in the peloton as an early break left 10 riders over two minutes ahead of the main pack heading into the final 100 kilometres.
That gap was closed by the time the riders approached the 8.6km climb to Madonna del Ghisalo, one of four ascents in the final 60km of the race.
Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates emerged the strongest, out in front heading towards the circuit of three climbs which took the peloton into the scenic lakeside finale in Como.
Pogacar had four men working for him the first time up and over San Fermo della Battaglia and into Civiglo, the end of a 4.2km ascent which maxed out at a 14 percent gradient.
That climb seemed to do it for Nibali, who began to fall back just before Pogacar made his burst with 19km remaining, the Slovenian accompanied by Mas and Landa who hung on to their tails as the main chasers fell 40 seconds back on the descent.
"I basically enjoyed the race and the crowd but my legs took me as far as they could," said Astana rider Nibali. "I've dealt with my emotions throughout the year... leaving aside the result today I'm happy because to win here or even do well you really need to be at your best. I have no regrets, I enjoyed the crowd all the way through the race."
Jonas Vingegaard, who beat Pogacar to the Tour de France this year, also gave up the ghost in the face of Pogacar's attack.
The trio headed into the second and final climb up San Fermo della Battaglia where the peloton were left behind, and then Mas attacked.
Pogacar stayed with the peloton, prevailing in the final sprint to the line, confirming his domination of cycling.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Crime%20Wave
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The%20Beekeeper
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
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Gulf Men's League final
Dubai Hurricanes 24-12 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
If you go
The flights
Emirates (www.emirates.com) and Etihad (www.etihad.com) both fly direct to Bengaluru, with return fares from Dh 1240. From Bengaluru airport, Coorg is a five-hour drive by car.
The hotels
The Tamara (www.thetamara.com) is located inside a working coffee plantation and offers individual villas with sprawling views of the hills (tariff from Dh1,300, including taxes and breakfast).
When to go
Coorg is an all-year destination, with the peak season for travel extending from the cooler months between October and March.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Multitasking pays off for money goals
Tackling money goals one at a time cost financial literacy expert Barbara O'Neill at least $1 million.
That's how much Ms O'Neill, a distinguished professor at Rutgers University in the US, figures she lost by starting saving for retirement only after she had created an emergency fund, bought a car with cash and purchased a home.
"I tell students that eventually, 30 years later, I hit the million-dollar mark, but I could've had $2 million," Ms O'Neill says.
Too often, financial experts say, people want to attack their money goals one at a time: "As soon as I pay off my credit card debt, then I'll start saving for a home," or, "As soon as I pay off my student loan debt, then I'll start saving for retirement"."
People do not realise how costly the words "as soon as" can be. Paying off debt is a worthy goal, but it should not come at the expense of other goals, particularly saving for retirement. The sooner money is contributed, the longer it can benefit from compounded returns. Compounded returns are when your investment gains earn their own gains, which can dramatically increase your balances over time.
"By putting off saving for the future, you are really inhibiting yourself from benefiting from that wonderful magic," says Kimberly Zimmerman Rand , an accredited financial counsellor and principal at Dragonfly Financial Solutions in Boston. "If you can start saving today ... you are going to have a lot more five years from now than if you decide to pay off debt for three years and start saving in year four."
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
match info
Athletic Bilbao 1 (Muniain 37')
Atletico Madrid 1 (Costa 39')
Man of the match Iker Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
