The world champion arrives as a great favorite for the last Monument of the year, which will feature heavyweight rivals such as Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic and Richard Carapaz, as well as five Colombians looking to shine in the Italian mountains.
Photo: EFE – MARTIN DIVISEK
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The Tour of Lombardy, the last major event on the international cycling calendar, once again puts all the focus on this Saturday Tadej Pogacar. The Slovenian phenomenon of UAE Team Emirates He is pursuing a new milestone: his fifth consecutive title in the Italian event, a feat that only the legendary Fausto Coppi managed to achieve, although never consecutively.
Pogacar, which has turned the classics into its domain of dominance, arrives at the 2025 edition with its ambition intact. If he raises his arms in Bergamo, he will also equal another historical record: that of Eddy Merckxhe Belgian who in his golden age was able to conquer three Monuments in the same season. This year, the Slovenian has already won the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and was second in Paris-Roubaix, a sequence that confirms his status as the most complete cyclist in the peloton.
At 27 years old, Pogacar has accumulated nine Monuments and is aiming for tenth, a figure that would place him as the third most successful runner in this type of event, only behind Merckx (19) and Roger De Vlaeminck (11). His 2025 campaign, which includes the world and European titles, in addition to the recent triumph in the Tres Valles Varesinos, has been one of the most dominant of the modern era. “Every year I think I've had my best season, and then another even better one comes along. I know that at some point I won't be able to match it, but for now I enjoy every victory.”recognized the Slovenian after being crowned European champion.
Along with Pogacar, other figures from the international squad will fight for the throne, such as the Belgian Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), el mexicano Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates), the British Thomas Pidcock (Q36.5) and Adam Yates (UAE Emirates), also Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Red Bull–Bora) and the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (EF Education–EasyPost), among others. Each one arrives with different arguments: Evenepoel seeks revenge after an irregular season; Del Toro wants to confirm his explosion as one of the revelations of the year; Roglic and Carapaz, with their experience, aspire to take advantage of any tactical loopholes in the Lombard mountains.
Colombia seeks prominence
Colombia will also have its share of ambition and talent. Five national riders will take the start in Como with the hope of closing the season on a high: Egan Bernal, Nairo Quintana, Einer Rubio, Sergio Higuita and Germán Darío Gómez.
Bernal, who has shown a notable recovery in recent weeks, arrives with a competitive pace and signs of confidence. The Cundinamarca native was fourth in the Giro dell'Emilia, ninth in the Greater Piedmont and animated the Tre Valli Varesine with an attack that recalled the best Egan. Quintana and Rubio, both from the Movistar Team, will seek to filter through the mountain breaks, while Higuita and Gómez will try to take advantage of their power in the intermediate sections.
Although favoritism is clear for Pogacar, the route – full of hard ascents, technical descents and cobbled sections – opens up space for surprises and the brilliance of pure climbers like the Colombians.
Time and where to watch the Tour of Lombardy live
Date: October 11
Time: from 6:30 am, Colombia time
Route: 238 kilometers between Como and Bergamo
Transmission: DirecTV
A beautiful, but demanding route
The 2025 edition of the Giro de Lombardia will cover 238 kilometers between Como and Bergamo, with a cumulative elevation gain of more than 4,400 meters. The route is a masterpiece of Italian cycling: it will begin with the traditional climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo, and then wind along the shores of Lake Como and enter mountainous terrain.
In the second half of the route, the great passes of the day are concentrated: Roncola, Berbenno, Dossena, Zambla Alta and the iconic Passo di Ganda, a point where the groups of favorites usually break up. From there, a dizzying descent leads to Selvino and, after a few flat kilometers, the race will be decided on the final cobbled climb to the Città Alta of Bergamo. The ramps, the narrow curves and the arrival through Porta Garibaldi promise an outcome that is as demanding as it is spectacular.
Controversial absence
The Giro de Lombardia organization also confirmed an unexpected withdrawal: the Israel-Premier Tech team will not participate this year “for reasons of public safety.” The decision, made by mutual agreement with the squad led by Sylvan Adams, comes after recent pro-Palestinian protests that affected some stages of the Vuelta a España.
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