The Slovenian Tadej Pogacar won this Saturday the Tour of Lombardy, the ultimate cycling classic of the season, dominating the Spaniard Enric Mas in the sprint, in Como.
The UAE Emirates rider, winner of the Tour de France 2020 and 2021, adds a third monument to his list, after Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy, already in 2021.
The "classic of dead leaves" promised a climax to the end of the season.
In the splendid theater of northern Italy, over 253 km between Bergamo and Como, the major players in a year of madness met for a last act that everyone in cycling was waiting for.
Dane Jonas Vingegaard, winner of the Tour de France, found his summer dolphin, from whom he snatched Tadej Pogacar, title holder of this Italian monument.
As guest stars, cycling legends Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde competed there in the last race of their immense careers.
And, as an outsider, the French Julian Alaphilippe revenge after a season of galleys.
The decor thus planted, it first took a long round of observation before the race settled down.
The first hours of racing, marked by the heavy falls of newly retired Domenico Pozzovivo and Mikel Nieve, allowed a breakaway of 10 riders to show themselves under the mild transalpine sun.
Before a general regrouping which left the strong men to explain themselves 70 km from the finish.
In this little game, the UAE Emirates team of the Slovenian champion showed the muscles.
Year to forget for Alaphilippe
30 km from the finish, in the first of the two climbs of San Fermo della Battaglia, Pogacar's teammates toughen up the race.
Alaphilippe is among the first to let go.
For the double world champion who lost his tunic a fortnight ago in Australia, 2022 is definitely to be forgotten.
On the other hand, for Pogacar, the Italian roads served as the backdrop for a brilliant revenge on the one who snatched his yellow jersey from him on the slopes of Granon in July.
In the Civiglio, Pogacar places a dry attack which unclamps Vingegaard.
Only the Spaniards Enric Mas and Mikel Landa cling to the tails of the twirling Slovenian.
The trio is playing for victory in the last kilometers.
Mas will try to drop Pogacar 5 km from the goal but the Slovenian, imperial, is not surprised.
The sprint in the streets of Como is a formality.
Despite his second place in the Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar concludes with this victory a full season, with 16 successes on the clock.
All at just 24 years old.
