(PRIMASPORT) COMO – It's Paul Seixas The winner of Il Lombardia 2026, the Classic of the Dead Leaves, which saw Tadej Pogacar triumph in the previous five editions, having been absent due to injury at the Vuelta. The Frenchman won the first Monument of his career, succeeding eight years after his compatriot Thibaut Pinot's success, becoming the youngest winner of Il Lombardia at the age of 20 years and 16 days. His 18km solo effort proved decisive, allowing him to outdistance his closest rivals and cross the finish line in Como alone. Enric Mas finished second at 48 seconds, while Giulio Ciccone finished 1'05" behind, this time ahead of Remco Evenepoel, who beat him in a photo finish in the European Championship road race. Evenepoel, who finished 1'20" behind, finished ahead of world champion Brandon McNulty, Tom Pidcock, Pello Bilbao, Christian Scaroni, Filippo Zana, and Mathys Rondel.
The race started from the center of Bergamo, with a five-minute delay to allow Remco Evenepoel to read a road safety appeal. The first to attack, between the Selvino climb and the subsequent descent, were 14 riders, building a lead of 3'25". On the slopes of the Ghisallo, another selection emerged, with Giulio Pelizzari completing a long chase, allowing his captain Evenepoel to rejoin with 45 km to go. When Paul Seixas broke away, however, Evenepoel was among the first to give up, along with Isaac Del Toro. Shortly after, it was Tom Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone. By the time he crossed the Civiglio, Seixas had a half-minute lead. Meanwhile, on the final climb of San Martino della Battaglia, Enric Mas had dropped Giulio Ciccone. (PRIMASPORT)