Tadej Pogačar will have the support of a super team line-up as he targets a record breaking fifth consecutive victory at Il Lombardia and aims for UAE Team Emirates-XRG's 93rd victory of the 2025 season.
The seven'-rider squad includes Isaac del Toro, who won Thursday's Gran Piemonte race and his 15th win of 2025, triple Vuelta stage winner Jay Vine, Adam Yates, who won Monday's Coppa Agostoni, plus super domestique Pavel Sivakov, the ever loyal Domen Novak and veteran Rafał Majka, who will end his 15-year career on Saturday at Il Lombardia.
"Lombardía is the final monument of the year and the last race of my season. 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," Pogačar said when UAE Team Emirates-XRG confirmed their line-up.
"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.”
Directuer sportif Fabio Baldato and Marco Marzano will guide the team from the UAE team car.
Pogačar has already been compared to Eddy Merckx and he will better Fausto Coppi if he wins a fifth Il Lombardia.
He respects the history of the sport but has little concern for records or numbers.
“I’m not too obsessed with numbers or records. Winning four in a row is already something special, but I’ll start with the hope and desire to do it again. I know I can rely on a great team around me, and that’s already a good start," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
This year's 240.8km route includes 4,420m of climbing between Como and Bergamo, with the climb up to the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo cycling chapel the first of five major climbs.
The 9.3km Passo di Ganda, with 40km to race, is the final major climb of the race and is where Pogačar attacked in 2021 and 2023 to eventually win in Bergamo. The short Colle Aperto climb leads up to Bergamo Alta before a fast descent to the finish line.
Pogačar is more dominant than ever but is respectful of all his rivals.
"I'll face Remco Evenepoel again and he showed he was at a high level at the Worlds and European Championships. But I never start a race thinking it's a two-rider battle, that wouldn't be respectful for all the other riders," he said.
Pogačar won Tuesday's Tre Valli Varesine ahead of 19-year-old super talent Albert Philipsen and was joined on the European Championship podium by France's Paul Seixas, sparking him to admit he is starting to feel old at 27.
"The new generations are coming, and that’s natural," Pogačar told La Gazzetta dello Sport
"Seixas has been strong all year, and Philipsen too. Our sport is evolving. There’s a lot of spectacle now, and there will be even more in the future.
"Finding new rivals and trying to beat them is motivating. They’ll make things tough for me, so I’ll need to keep my level high. That’s how it should be."
