"Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic will be close" - Tadej Pogacar knows who to keep under eye at Il Lombardia
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has entered Il Lombardia as the two-time defending champion and big contender to take a third. He has big rivals coming in and a tough task at hand
“The legs have been good in recent weeks, but it will be a tough race again. Lombardy is always one of the toughest races on the cycling calendar," Pogacar said at the start of the Italian race. "A long day, with many kilometers of climbing. We have to wait and see how things will go."
The final monument of the season sees Pogacar come in slightly tired and perhaps not as sharp as the past two years, the route is not as selective as the finale in Como and he will likely have to face Primoz Roglic who has an equally impressive sprint. He knows who his main rivals are: “Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic will be close. But there will also be other riders who will try it in a different way, by riding a little further away."
"That's why I think the final will be difficult to control. Many riders will already be at their wits' end, which in turn offers opportunities for others to surprise us. We must anticipate this by also bringing Hirschi and Yates into the fray.”
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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.
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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)...
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Oggi @TamauPogi potrebbe diventare il primo a vincere tre Il Lombardia di fila per la prima volta da Fausto Coppi negli anni 40 🤯 Today @TamauPogi could become the first rider to win three Il Lombardias in a row since Fausto Coppi in the 1940s 🤯 #iLombardia
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