It seems very complicated that this coming Saturday Tadej Pogacar will not win his fifth consecutive Il Lombardia. The Italian Monument, as long as it doesn't change its route as it used to do and becomes a little less hard, will continue to be perfect for the World Champion on the other hand, arrives in an extraordinary form to be the end of a very long season.
Since winning the UAE Tour and Strade Bianche in early March, after an almost perfect spring (winner in Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège; and second in Amstel Gold Race and Roubaix; third at Milano-Sanremo) and after beating Jonas Vingegaard at the Criterium du Dauphiné and Tour de France, he has reached the end of the season reaching his best form once again, winning the World and European Championships with comfort - whilst now winning Tre Valli Varesine ahead of the final monument of the season.
He seems unbeatable, although in cycling nothing is written in advance, so we try to think of possible riders who can beat him this Sunday in the fight for his fifth consecutive Giro di Lombardia and his tenth Monument in total. We propose: Isaac del Toro, Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe. Here's why these riders and not others are the ones who could prevent Tadej Pogacar from raising his arms on Saturday in Bergamo:
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Isaac del Toro
The first is the most obvious: his UAE teammate Isaac del Toro. He is by far the most in-form rider after Pogacar himself at the end of the season after winning 5 Italian classics in the last few weeks (GP Industria, Giro della Toscana, Coppa Sabatini, Trofeo Matteotti and Giro dell'Emilia).
Believing (it seems obvious) that Pogacar's's form will not drop from here to Saturday's start in Como, to think that a tactical move would leave the Mexican in the lead and Pogi would stay behind controlling other possible rivals could give him the victory is not out of the question, taking into consideration the current situation and how strongly Del Toro himself is riding.
Remco Evenepoel
Remco Evenepoel is the closest to him. The problem he has is that on the climbs Pogacar has the ability to drop the Olympic Champion, and the opposite has not been seen anytime recently.
So, taking into account that he has been in very good shape at the end of the year with his double gold-silver in the World and European Championships, to think that he is the only one who could hypothetically hold him to the finish line and beat him in a sprint, although it sounds very complicated, it would not be impossible.
Remco Evenepoel will be Tadej Pogacar's opponent on Sunday at Il Lombardia
Julian Alaphilippe
Finding a third with a real chance of beating Pogacar is a tall order. Names like Primoz Roglic, Lenny Martinez, Richard Carapaz, Tom Pidcock, Egan Bernal, Mikel Landa, Ben O'Connor or even the young French talent Paul Seixas after his great European could be in discussion.
So, I have decided to go with Julian Alaphilippe who is showing great sensations at the end of the season, who already beat Pogacar in the GP of Quebec and who has just finished on the podium in the Tre Valli Varesine. Obviously it would have to be from the breakaway the possible victory of the Frenchman from Tudor.
Please let us know in the comments which possible rivals you could have for Tadej Pogacar this Saturday, October 11 in Il Lombardia, as we are sure that his not winning would be one of the biggest surprises in this season finale.
Original: Juan Larra
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Makes sense that training from home is a big asset or advantage but it's still remarkable that he can put in three quality majors and not pay some heavy price for the exertion. I wish he would have won that tour stage that his crash while leading allowed Carapaz the win. He's a darn good rider and teammate.flyer14-11-2026
- Sounds like we all agree with the over under exaggeration: "The German’s signing does not guarantee that Evenepoel will win the Tour in 2027. "flyer14-11-2026
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too.Lozza14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too. So Zonnewotsit can stick it!Lozza14-11-2026
- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
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