Post by : Rameen Ariff

World champion Tadej Pogacar delivered a stunning performance at the Giro di Lombardia, winning the Italian classic for a record fifth consecutive year. The victory marks Pogacar’s 10th career Monuments win and his third Monument triumph of 2025.

The UAE Team Emirates rider, who also won the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year, became only the second cyclist after Belgian legend Eddy Merckx to claim three Monuments in a single season.

On the 241-km course, Pogacar launched a trademark solo attack on the final Passo di Ganda climb, leaving his rivals behind. He crossed the finish line with a one minute and 48-second lead over Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel, while Australian Michael Storer finished third, more than three minutes behind.

With this win, Pogacar equaled Italian great Fausto Coppi’s record of five Lombardia victories and became the first cyclist to win a Monument five times consecutively. His triumph also increased UAE Team Emirates’ season win tally to 93, surpassing the previous record of 85 set by Team Columbia-HTC in 2009.

Pogacar praised his teammates for their support during the race. "To win Il Lombardia five times in a row feels incredible, but I owe it to my team. Domen Novak and Pavel Sivakov did fantastic work protecting me on the final climb," he said.

Having already finished second at Paris-Roubaix and third at Milano-Sanremo, Pogacar also became the first rider this year to podium in all five Monuments. Recently, he retained the rainbow jersey at the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda.

Reflecting on his season, Pogacar said, "Seven years in a row I’ve said this is my best season so far. Milano-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix will be my next big goals, but for now I want to relax and enjoy the way I finished this year."

Pogacar’s dominance in 2025 reinforces his status as one of the greatest cyclists in modern history, combining speed, strategy, and endurance in some of the most prestigious races in the world.

#Sports News