For Tadej, the 2024 season was his best yet, almost perfect, and he ended it in style. At Il Lombardia, he celebrated his fourth consecutive victory, the most convincing so far. On the 255-kilometer route, which this time led the caravan from Bergamo to Como, he attacked on the climb to Colmo di Sormano and rode the last 48 kilometers alone towards the finish. Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel was 3:16 behind him, and Italian Giulio Ciccone took third place.
»Every victory is something special, and this one was too. Our team worked hard, as it has done all season for all the victories we’ve achieved. The race was long, and most of the work fell on our team, which did an excellent job, and that’s why I’m so happy about this victory. I executed the attack as we planned because we knew that in such a demanding race in the last 40 kilometers, it would be a man-to-man fight. I counted on keeping the lead to the finish if I was ahead of my rivals at the top of the climb to Colmo di Sormano. That’s exactly what happened,« Tadej described the path to his poker of victories at the race of the falling leaves.
With four consecutive victories – two each in Bergamo and Como – he equaled the longest winning streak of Fausto Coppi, who celebrated four consecutive victories at Il Lombardia between 1946 and 1949. The legendary Italian is also the record holder for the total number of victories in this race, having won it for the fifth time in 1954.
»I really enjoyed the last moments of the race, on the last climb, the atmosphere created by the fans, it was incredible. It was nice because I knew I would end the season with a victory,« Tadej added about Il Lombardia. At the finish he lifted his bike in the rainbow jersey. »As I started the season, I also ended it, so I decided on the same celebration as at Strade Bianche. It’s nice to lift the bike, it makes for beautiful photos,« Tadej explained how he chose to celebrate his 25th victory of the year. With it, he put the finishing touch on his by far most successful season, with last year’s record of 17 victories being his previous best.
This year, among other achievements, he became the first since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win both the Giro and the Tour, and when he added the world champion title in Zürich, he became the third cyclist in history to win the triple crown. Before him, only Eddy Merckx in 1974 and Stephen Roche in 1987 managed this feat. »Every victory has its own story, its own emotions, but this year, the victory at the world championship is certainly at the top for me, it will be hard to surpass,« Tadej revealed which success this year is his favorite.
If the season weren’t over, he would probably continue winning, but Tadej is looking forward to a well-deserved rest: »Life is not just racing, in life I also like to do other things besides winning, and now I will enjoy that.«
FOTO: UAE Team Emirates