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Tadej Pogačar earns natural hat trick of Il Lombardia titles

Slovenian's fifth career Monument victory, Woods comes 12th

October 7, 2023
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Tadej Pogačar joined Italian legends Alfredo Binda and Fausto Coppi as the only riders to win Il Lombardia three times in a row in Saturday’s final Monument of 2023. The Slovenian ace descended away from his competition on the last big climb of the race and survived a cramp scare. UAE-Emirates’ mightiest rider took another Monument, the Tour of Flanders, this season and has five in total on his impressive palmares. Michael Woods was 12th, the fourth time he’s been in Il Lombardia’s top 13.

The Course

The 238-km Race of the Falling Leaves started in Como alongside the lake and headed up the famed Madonna del Ghisallo early. The last major climb was the Passo di Ganda cresting 32 km from the finish line in Bergamo. Just before the line came short, steep Colle Aperto.

Attacks started on the Ghisallo, with a 10-strong breakaway forming. Remco Evenepoel was caught up in an early crash. The fugitive group grew to 15 on the way to the Roncola climb. Last year’s runner-up Enric Mas abandoned the race. In the peloton Jumbo-Visma’s Jan Tratnik pulled the field.

On Passo della Crocetta the breakaway received a few reinforcements, but the next peak of Zambla Alta fragmented the escape group. The Zambla Alta descent saw another crash, this one involving Jakob Fuglsang, Mikel Landa and Richard Carapaz. There were only five escapees left with the peloton less than a minute behind.

Passo di Ganda

The final big climb was 9.3 km of 7.1 percent. When it kicked up fugitives Ben Healy and Martin Marcellusi were 35 seconds up the road, Jumbo-Visma still pulling in the favorites group. Evenepoel and Pogačar’s teammates then took up the front. UAE-Emirates’ Adam Yates, third in the Tour de France, was the first to attack, Julian Alaphilippe following. Jumbo’s Attila Valter sewed it up but the action chopped the field into little pieces. Evenepoel missed out and Alaphilippe went back to help him. Healy finally came to heel with 37 km to ride.

Adam Yates leads the selection on the Passo di Ganda.

Michael Woods made the 11-man selection with the favoured Slovenians, Carapaz, Alexandr Vlasov, Carlos Rodriguez and the Yates brothers. Primož Roglič lagged a bit off the back. Just as Roglič was about to latch back on, Pogačar made a move. Vlasov grabbed his wheel. The duo went over the top a handful of seconds ahead of the Roglič-powered chase.

Vlasov and Pogacar just ahead of Roglic and company.

Nineteen hairpin turns dropped the race down the other side of Ganda. Pogačar scooted clear of the others and yanked out a 34-second lead by the time the road leveled. Woods was no longer in the closest chase group.

Pogačar started to cramp in both legs with 12 km to go, and there was worry in the UAE-Emirates’ camp even though he had a 45-second gap.

Pogacar begins to cramp.

The two-time Tour de France winner seemed to recover and prepare for Colle Aperto at the gates of Bergamo. On that sharp little climb Thibaut Pinot, in his final professional race, was cheered up the grades by his fans. Roglič and Carapaz couldn’t hang with the Vlasov, Rodriguez and Yates twins.

Tadej Pogačar had plenty of time to celebrate. Roglič caught back up to the chase and snagged third. Evenepoel rallied and came in ninth, Woods finishing in the same group +1:26.

2023 Il Lombardia
1) Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia/UAE-Emirates) 5:55:33
2) Andrea Bagioli (Italy/Soudal-QuickStep) +0:51
3) Primož Roglič (Slovenia/Jumbo-Visma) s.t.
12) Michael Woods (Canada/Israel-Premier Tech) +1:26