Pogačar's Dominance on Passo di Ganda: A Record-Breaking Performance
Tadej Pogačar's victory in the 2025 Il Lombardia was a testament to his unparalleled dominance in the cycling world. With no challengers in sight, Pogačar claimed his fifth consecutive Il Lombardia title, shattering the previous Passo di Ganda record. This achievement marked the culmination of a remarkable classics season, showcasing Pogačar's exceptional endurance and strategic prowess.
The race's final stage was a showcase of Pogačar's team's strength and coordination. Supported by a formidable lineup, including Rafał Majka in his final career race, Jay Vine, Isaac Del Toro, Pavel Sivakov, Adam Yates, and Domen Novak, Pogačar's Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe team played a pivotal role in controlling the breakaway. UAE's strategic training on Passo di Ganda days before the race proved invaluable, as Majka and Vine's powerful pulls significantly thinned the favorites group, leaving Remco Evenepoel, Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, and Michael Storer in pursuit. Quinn Simmons, the sole survivor of the breakaway, couldn't keep up with the pace set by Pogačar's team.
Pogačar's performance on Passo di Ganda was nothing short of extraordinary. He completed the climb in an astonishing 21:22 minutes, achieving a remarkable power output of 7.22 W/kg. This marked a significant improvement from his previous performances, including a 23:08 minute climb in 2023 at 6.34 W/kg, and a solo ascent in 2021 in 23:14 minutes at 6.40 W/kg, where Fausto Masnada caught him on the descent. Over the past two years, Pogačar has demonstrated remarkable resistance to fatigue, solidifying his position as the unbeatable force in such challenging courses.
The 2025 season's Il Lombardia race could have been Pogačar's sixth victory, had it not been for the unique scheduling. With the 2020 season not affected by COVID and the race held during the Critérium du Dauphiné, Pogačar's dominance in Il Lombardia mirrors Mondo Duplantis's record-breaking pole vaulting. Remco Evenepoel, Pogačar's closest competitor, finished second, mirroring his results from the European and World Championships, as Pogačar concluded his final race with Soudal Quick-Step.
Results: FirstCycling.com (https://firstcycling.com/race.php?r=24&y=2025)
