After more Pogacar dominance at Il Lombardia, Remco Evenepoel insists "If anyone can close the gap, it's me"
Cycling
Despite being far better than the rest of the pack at Il Lombardia 2024, Remco Evenepoel himself was dominated once again by Tadej Pogacar. Nevertheless, the Belgian leaves Italy somewhat contented by his efforts.
“I am very satisfied,” insists a smiling Soudal - Quick-Step leader in his post-race interview, having come home around three minutes down on his race-winning rival. “I got the most out of it. Tadej was outstanding again and I finished far ahead of the rest behind me. A bit in line with the Tour de France, actually.”
Although everyone in the race expected a Pogacar attack on the Colma di Sormano, once it came, Evenepoel was simply unable to react to the sheer brutality of the Slovenian's acceleration. "He went on the steepest part and I knew immediately that I couldn't blow myself up," Evenepoel explains. "That turned out to be the right choice. After that I took quite a few risks downhill and that way I was able to increase my lead on Enric Mas and Lennert van Eetvelt. If you come second with a big gap to the winner but also a big lead on the third, then no mistakes have been made."
So again, it's a distant second behind Evenepoel. As such, he feels there is certainly room to improve ahead of next season despite his own individual brilliance in 2024. "I just have to accept that. It's been like that all season, right? The thing now is to work hard throughout the winter and try to close the gap. If anyone has that in them, it's me," the Belgian puts forward determinedly. "I just have to keep the confidence in myself and the team and not lose hope."
First though, time for some well-earned rest. “It has been a long season, especially without a break in the middle of the season because of that crash. At the beginning of the week it didn't look so good, but today I had a good day again. That shows that the form is not gone. That is positive for next year. If I can get through the season without problems, I can compete for the win here,” he concludes.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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First #ILombardia podium for @EvenepoelRemco 🙌
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