Matteo Fabbro, the only Italian from a ProTeam in Il Lombardia’s breakaway

It wasn’t the kind of Il Lombardia with easy initial breakaways. A first attempt of just three riders quickly went up the road from Bergamo but was reeled back in on the first climb. On the second one, the Selvino, Matteo Fabbro managed to join an 11-men attack that doubled in size on the following Berbenno uphill: he was one of only two ProTeam athletes among twenty World Tour cyclists and one of only three Italians in the front.

The fugitives held a lead between 3 and 4 minutes over the main bunch, controlled by UAE Team Emirates as they transitioned toward Lake Como, until the peloton picked up the pace on the ascent to the Madonna del Ghisallo (patron saint of cyclists). On the brutally tough Colma di Sormano, the climber from Friuli was caught after spending about 160 kilometers in the break. Shortly afterward, the much-anticipated solo performance from Pogacar unfolded.

At that point, there were about fifty kilometers left. Behind the World Champion and the first chase groups, Davide Piganzoli riding his special AURUM Magma Lake of Como finished 28th, beating Martinez (Red Bull) and Dunbar (Jayco) at the sprint.

Cover image above by Sprint Cycling Agency, this photo-gallery by Maurizio Borserini

Fabbro: “It was intense right from the start, just think that 4800 meters of elevation gain were completed at an average speed of almost 42 km/h! I’m happy with how I rode and how we cooperated before what felt like a whole new race began.”

Polti Kometa‘s Sports director Stefano Zanatta: “Our guys approached a grueling day with the right spirit. Well done to Matteo for getting into the breakaway and kudos to his teammates for supporting Piganzoli, especially Mattia Bais who stayed by his side even on the Sormano. As for Piga, it was natural to struggle a bit with the pace in one of the most competitive cycling scenarios. We are happy with the progress shown by him and the entire squad.”