Pogacar keeps promise and keeps winning at Tre Valli Varesine

Tadej Pogačar fulfilled a promise to the race organisation by lining out at Tre Valli Varesine after last year’s cancellation, but the world champion isn’t in the business of simply putting in appearances.

A bike race is a bike race in Pogačar’s view, and he proceeded to win this one, attacking alone with 22km to go to claim yet another solo victory. He didn’t go quite as long as he did at the World Championships or European Championships, but the dominance was similar as he came home 45 seconds clear of the chasing group.

It was Pogačar’s 19th win of the season and his latest triumph brings UAE Team Emirates-XRG’s tally for the year to 91. In Tuesday’s finale, Pogačar had teammate Isaac del Toro for company in the front group, and the Mexican proved a key foil when he attacked.

“It was really a good situation,” Pogačar said. “We were in the front group and we knew that nobody would work with us too much, so when I saw that I had a gap on the downhill,  I pushed on. I knew that even if I killed myself, Isaac was in the back, and he could still win the race from the small group or even solo. It was really good situation, and we made it.”

Pogačar’s final outing of the season will come at Il Lombardia on Saturday, and he will line up as the overwhelming favourite for the Race of the Falling Leaves. He is chasing a record fifth straight victory in the race, having equalled Fausto Coppi’s sequence of four successive Il Lombardia wins last year.

“Obviously, it’s a long season now but Lombardia is a big goal and there’s extra motivation to do it super good,” Pogačar said. “It’s a Monument and one of the biggest races on the calendar. The legs should be good for Saturday.”

That is something of an understatement. At the weekend, Pogačar’s biggest rival should be Remco Evenepoel, who placed second a year ago and who took silver behind the Slovenian at the Worlds and European Championships road races over the last two weekends.

In Varese on Tuesday, however, Pogačar’s closest adversary was a youngster, with 19-year-old neo Albert Philipsen (Lidl-Trek) winning the sprint for second ahead of Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor).

“I told Alaphilippe on the podium that I already feel old next to him and I wondered how he must feel next to us,” Pogačar said. “We’re getting old now and a new generation is coming. Paul Seixas was brilliant all season and Albert Philipsen is an amazing rider. We have such good talents for the next years. I guess it’s an extra motivation to have new competition coming. They will for sure push me for some more races in the future.”

In the here and now, however, Pogačar remains in a league entirely of his own.