Third victory in a row: Pogacar wins the Tour of Lombardy for the third time in a row

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Tadej Pogacar wins the Tour of Lombardy for the third time in a row. The 25-year-old Slovenian won the 238 km solo from Como to Bergamo with a lead of 51 seconds over Andrea Bagioli and Primoz Roglic. Marc Hirschi has to settle for 19th place.

After the final climb on Madonna del Ghisallo, Pogacar broke away from a small leading group about 30 kilometers from the finish and increased his lead in the intense descent. Ten kilometers before the finish, the Slovenian suffered from pain in his thigh, possibly cramps. Yet the pursuers were no longer able to get close.

“Fantastic and incredible”

For Pogacar it is the fifth victory at one of the five monuments of cycling and the second this year after his debut victory in the Tour of Flanders. He is only the third rider to win the Tour of Lombardy three years in a row, the first since Fausto Coppi more than 70 years ago. The Italian won the last of the five monuments four times in a row from 1946 to 1949.

«To win for the third time in the third participation is fantastic and incredible. It’s a dream to win here solo,” Pogacar said after his coup.

Hirschi fell in the final phase

Pogacar’s biggest rivals Remco Evenepoel and Roglic, like Marc Hirschi, had no chance. Evenepoel had to pull away on the last climb and did not get further than 9th place. Roglic, who leaves the dominant Jumbo-Visma team around Pogacar and Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard at the end of the season and moves to Bora-Hansgrohe, initially made it to the top group with the last of his strength. But then he had nothing left to oppose his compatriot. In the final sprint of the chasing group, he stayed just ahead of fourth-placed future Bora teammate Alexander Vlasov.

Hirschi was the best Swiss, 19th, 2:08 minutes behind. The in-form Bernese fell ten kilometers from the finish in the second chasing group through his own fault. That’s probably why he didn’t have the strength to fight for a top position. Victory was no longer within reach at this point. (SDA)

Source : Blick