Imperious Pogacar the man to catch after epic season

Fifth successive Il Lombardia triumph completed his dominance while women's Tour winner divided opinion

- Jeremy Whittle

Tadej Pogacar's command of world cycling now seems limitless. The man from Slovenia ended 2025 as he began it, dominating a coveted Italian classic, Il Lombardia, to win the "race of the falling leaves" for the fifth consecutive time.

The 27-year-old started his European season by winning the Tuscan gravel race, Strade Bianche. He closed it having matched Italian icon Fausto Coppi's record of five Lombardy victories and Eddy Merckx's achievement of winning three "monument" races, the Tour de France and the world road race title in the same year.

In late July, however, a weary Pogacar talked about early retirement and a sense of burnout, even as he took his fourth yellow jersey. His mid-season low came towards the end of that Tour win, when he seemed withdrawn and disgruntled, as the race closed on Paris. There were whispered rumours that he had been asked to back off a little and resist further stage wins to avoid reducing the Tour to a procession.