Tadej Pogacar became the first rider in 42 years to win Tour de France- Giro di Lombardia twice as he won the last Monument race of the season.
The Slovenian who was riding for UAE-Emirates became the fourth man to achieve the feat after Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Fausto Coppi.
Pogacar made his move with more than 30km to go and beat Fausto Masnada into second place in the final sprint in northern Italy and Britain’s Adam Yates finishing third.
It is also his second victory of the year in one of the five prestigious one-day Monument races, after winning Liege-Bastogne-Liege in April.
On Saturday, the twice Giro di Lombardia winner in the past Vincenzo Nibali was the first to attack among the favorites on the ascent of Passo di Ganda but it was overtaken by Pogacar.
Masnada powered away from the chasing group in the final minutes to join Pogacar at the front but the Slovenian rider was too fast in the final sprint.
The victory completed the 23-year-old Slovenian’s exceptional 2021 season, giving him a place in history alongside Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx for winning two Monuments and the Tour de France in the same season. Yet he insisted that he is not that interested in making history.
The champion said, “I just like riding my bike, going to races and giving my all. If I make history or not, I just enjoy it. I don’t think about what’s going to be. I just enjoy the moment,” he explained after his win in Bergamo.”
He added, “I just like racing. I like one-week races, Grand Tours and I also love one-day races because they’re different, they’re more thrilling and interesting. I really like that kind of racing.”
Standings
1. Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates), 6hrs 1min 39secs
2. Fauso Masnada (Ita/Deceuninck-QuickStep) same time
3. Adam Yates (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +51secs
4. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) same time
5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa/Movistar Team)
6. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra/Deceuninck-QuickStep)
7. David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ)
8. Romain Bardet (Fra/Team DSM)
9. Michael Woods (Can/Israel Start-Up Nation)
10. Sergio Higuita (Col/EF Education-Nippo) +2min 25secs
