“This season has been pretty amazing” – Tadej Pogacar targets perfect end to 2025 with record-breaking Il Lombardia victory

As autumn grips the hills of northern Italy and the falling leaves herald the end of the European road season, Tadej Pogacar stands on the verge of cycling history. On Saturday, the Slovenian superstar will line up at Il Lombardia 2025 seeking an unprecedented fifth consecutive victory — a feat no rider, not even the sport’s most storied greats, has ever achieved.

Fresh from victory at Tre Valli Varesine earlier this week, Pogacar leads UAE Team Emirates - XRG into the final Monument of the season with trademark confidence and form. Already the reigning World and European champion, the 27-year-old can add yet another line to his astonishing palmarès should he conquer the 240.8km route from Como to Bergamo once again.

“Obviously, Lombardia is the final Monument of the year and the last race of my season,” said Pogacar in a UAE team press release. “It’s been one of my big goals in this final block of racing. The shape is there, the legs are good, the team is strong, so I’m very much looking forward to the race. This season has been a pretty amazing one all-round for the team. I feel lucky to be part of this special group and I hope we can keep it going for this weekend and into the future.”

Victory would place him level with Fausto Coppi on five Il Lombardia wins — matching the Italian legend's total, but uniquely, doing so in five straight editions. Already, Pogacar is the only rider to have won four in a row since Coppi in the 1950s. Another triumph would elevate him from record-equaling to record-setting status in the Race of the Falling Leaves, a race that has become his personal hunting ground since 2021.

To help achieve the milestone, UAE Team Emirates - XRG bring a climbing-heavy squad featuring Adam Yates, a former podium finisher in Lombardia; Jay Vine and Pavel Sivakov, both capable of shaking up the middle phases of the race; and young talent Isaac del Toro, who joined Pogacar in a late break at Tre Valli. The team also includes Domen Novak and Rafal Majka, the latter making his final professional appearance after 15 years in the peloton. A three-time Tour de France stage winner and two-time Polish national champion, Majka will retire on Saturday as one of the most respected domestiques of his generation.

Tadej Pogacar
Isaac del Toro
Adam Yates
Domen Novak
Jay Vine
Pavel Sivakov
Rafal Majka