The 114th Il Lombardia will be remembered for much more than Jakob Fuglsang’s patient yet commanding victory. It’ll be remembered as the earliest Lombardia ever, held in summer instead of autumn; it’ll be remembered for Remco Evenepoel’s sickening fall from a bridge while in a great position to challenge for victory; and it will be remembered for Max Schachmann colliding with a private vehicle that strayed onto the course in the closing kilometres.
It was anything but a boring day’s racing. Kristof Ramon and Cor Vos were there to capture all the action.
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- Just 2020 things.
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- In his first-ever Monument, at just 20 years old, Remco Evenepoel was the pre-race favourite.
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- The peloton rolls out of Bergamo on an idyllic summer’s day.
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- The bunch hits the first climb, the Colle Gallo.
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- Evenepoel was well placed in the early stages.
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- Jakob Fuglsang too.
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- The breakaway group doing its thing.
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- It was a warm day out – not something you’d normally expect for Il Lombardia.
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- There are less impressive places to hold a bike race.
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- By the top of the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo climb, Dries Devenyns had shredded the peloton for Evenepoel.
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- And on the punishingly steep Muro di Sormano, the race was thinned down even further …
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- … with just a handful of riders left in contention.
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- Among those still there, from left: Alexsandr Vlasov, Fuglsang, Evenepoel …
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- … George Bennett, two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali …
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- … and defending champion Bauke Mollema.
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- Mathieu van der Poel was slightly off the back.
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- Steep!
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- And then, disaster struck in the lead group on the descent off the Muro di Sormano. Evenepoel overshot a tight left-hander …
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- … and plunged into the ravine below. It’s almost the same spot where Laurens De Plus and Jan Bakelants fell in 2017. Evenepoel was lucky to get away with “only” a fractured pelvis and a lung contusion.
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- On the penultimate climb, the Civiglio, an attack from Fuglsang resulted in a leading trio of he, Vlasov and Bennett.
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- In his first WorldTour season, Vlasov has been one of this bizarre year’s breakout stars.
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- Bennett tried to distance Fuglsang on the final climb, dropping Vlasov in the process, but it was to no avail. When Fuglsang counterattacked, Bennett was quickly distanced …
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- Fuglsang winning this year’s Il Lombardia.
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- That’s two Monument wins for the 35-year-old now: Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia.
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- A gallant second place for the Kiwi Bennett, to add to his win at Gran Piemonte on Wednesday. He’ll now go back into super-domestique mode for the Tour de France.
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- A moment of respect among rivals.
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- Fuglsang is congratulated by Vlasov after the latter finished third.
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- Nibali was sixth on the day …
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- … while Van der Poel ended up 10th.
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- As if the race wasn’t dramatic enough with Evenepoel’s crash, a private vehicle drove onto the course in the closing kilometres, right in front of Max Schachmann. The German champ had no time to react, and slammed into the side of the car, breaking his collarbone. He managed to continue on and finished seventh.
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- Jakob Fuglsang, winner of the 2020 Il Lombardia.
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