In 1905, Giovanni Gerbi won the inaugural edition of Il Lombardia at the age of 20 years and five months. It took 120 editions for an even younger winner to emerge. Enter Paul Seixas, who, just two weeks after turning 20, won Il Lombardia 2026 – and won it in emphatic fashion. It was an extraordinary display of strength from a rising star who had already shown immense promise in his first year as a professional but was determined not to settle for that, rounding off his season by claiming his first Monument. After Pogačar’s five consecutive victories, the rider who looks most like his heir has arrived.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider set the Civiglio alight, dropping his rivals one after another before powering away alone towards the Como lakefront. Joining him on the podium were two riders who had been there before: Enric Mas (Movistar) finished second, as he did in 2022, while Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) took third, matching his result from 2024.
Civiglio and San Fermo prove decisive
The final Monument of the year was animated by a 14-man breakaway that went clear at full speed on the Selvino climb: Michael Leonard (EF Education-EasyPost), Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla), Maxime Decomble (Groupama-FDJ United), Andrea Mifsud (Polti VisitMalta), Johannes Kulset (Uno-X Mobility), Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious), Sylvain Moniquet (Cofidis), Fausto Masnada (MBH Bank Csb Telecom Fort), George Bennett, Pau Martí (NSN), Gijs Leemreize (Picnic PostNL), Louis Vervaeke (Soudal Quick-Step), Victor Campenaerts (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek).
UAE Team Emirates-XRG took responsibility for controlling the race, setting the pace on the climbs around Bergamo and the new ascent to Giovenzana, before handing over the chasing duties to Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe on the Ghisallo. Remco Evenepoel put his teammate Giulio Pellizzari to work, and the young Italian delivered a meticulous performance, stringing out the peloton.
Then, out of nowhere, came an American assault. On the final slopes of the Ghisallo, three Americans launched a move, spearheaded by the Visma riders: Matteo Jorgenson (Visma | Lease a Bike), Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) and world champion Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), joined by an alert Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana). The quartet opened up a gap of around 15 seconds, but they had reckoned without Pellizzari, who virtually single-handedly closed it before the first ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia.
The original breakaway was finally brought to an end on the Civiglio, with Leonard the last man to surrender. And that was where the Seixas show began. Rather than launching a sudden attack, the Frenchman moved to the front of the group of favourites and imposed a ferocious, relentless pace. Remco Evenepoel was the first to crack, followed by Isaac Del Toro and Brandon McNulty. Tom Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone were the last riders able to hold the Frenchman’s wheel, but eventually they too had to give way.
Seixas crested the summit with a 30-second advantage, which then continued to grow and grow. Behind him, Mas caught Ciccone before dropping him on San Fermo, securing another second place on exactly the same course as in 2022. Up front, however, it was Paul, the prodigy destined for greatness, who was celebrating. After Pogačar’s five consecutive triumphs, another phenomenal talent had claimed victory.
