Bilbao's family surprise and Mollema's record mark emotional Il Lombardia farewells

The pair were among five riders retiring after the race of the falling leaves, alongside Odd Christian Eiking, Ion Izagirre and Rudy Molard, receiving a guard of honour from the peloton before the start in Bergamo. 

For Mollema, Il Lombardia marked a fitting farewell after the Dutchman won the race back in 2019 with a memorable solo attack. He also created history on Saturday by finishing a record-breaking 17th edition. 

"Yes, it’s an emotional day," Mollema told WielerFlits post-race. "Riding through that guard of honour at the start was already a very special moment."

"Experiencing that firsthand is truly unique. But to be honest, I really suffered today. It was a real battle; my goal was simply to beat the time limit and finish the race."

Mollema was the last of the finishers in 114th place, savouring the moment after what he described as his “toughest edition”.

“Of the eighteen times I’ve ridden Lombardy, this was the toughest edition for me. I couldn’t really enjoy it today. But giving up wasn’t an option. I’m very happy I made it to the finish,” Mollema said.

“I really wanted to finish well here. That wasn’t easy today, but I’m incredibly happy I managed it.”

Meanwhile, Bilbao was amongst those at the sharp end of the race. The 36-year-old finished as part of the group that sprinted for fourth place, taking seventh in the final outing of his career. 

It marked Bilbao’s second-best-ever Monument finish, behind his sixth-place finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège earlier this year, bowing out of the sport while still among the upper echelons on a regular basis.

He was also spurred on by a surprise pre-race with an emotional video on the Bahrain team bus and a surprise from his family. 

“I can say it was a monumental year for me. Finishing in this way was the best I could have asked for,” Bilbao said post-race. “My emotions were already running high this morning when my wife and children surprised me by coming onto the team bus during our meeting. I couldn’t hold back the tears, but then I focused on the race.”

“I knew this was a good opportunity for me, and the team knew how motivated I was to finish my career at the highest level in a Monument. It was an unforgettable day.”