UAE Team Emirates' Pogacar creates history in Italy

Rome - Pogacar capped a stunning year by holding off a pursuit from local boy Fausto Masnada to claim victory in Bergamo

Tadej Pogacar won cycling’s Il Lombardia on Saturday after seeing off an all-star field to win the final big race of the season.

UAE Team Emirates rider Pogacar capped a stunning year by holding off a pursuit from local boy Fausto Masnada to claim victory in Bergamo after winning a second straight Tour de France as well as Liege-Bastogne-Liege this season.

Two cycling ‘monuments’ and the Tour in one season is a historic feat which puts the 23-year-old alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx and Fausto Coppi.

It came after he attacked alone with over 30 kilometres to the finish on his first appearance in the Italian race. Adam Yates claimed the final spot on the podium after sprinting ahead of some of the sport’s biggest names, including in-form Primoz Roglic and world champion Julian Alaphilippe. “Every victory is important especially this one, I have been dreaming to start Il Lombardia and to race with the best here in Italy. Now I’m here and I took the victory,” Pogacar said. An eventful race began with a small group, initially led by Intermarche’s Jan Bakelants, breaking away after 30 kilometres and creating a gap of over six minutes on the peloton. By the time the leaders reached the Dossena climb with 90km remaining that lead had been cut to two minutes. Once over the Zambla Alta the leading group had been cut from 10 to five with the peloton just 25 seconds back.

The last members of the breakaway were caught heading down the descent with 55km to go as the big guns battled for good positions ahead of the final 10km Passo di Ganda ascent, the key climb.

But Deceuninck-Quick-Step’s Masnada was no match for Pogacar in the final kilometres and the Slovenian star crossed the line first to enter the history books.