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Follow us on GoogleTom Pidcock was one of the very few riders who could stay close to Paul Seixas when the Frenchman lifted the pace on the Civiglio at Il Lombardia. The 20-year-old Frenchman rode the Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team leader off his wheel on his way to a historic first Monument victory, leaving Pidcock to fight for scraps behind. Afterwards, the Briton offered his two cents on that crucial moment on the Civiglio.
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Seixas 'attacked' with 19.2 kilometres to go, dropping most of the big contenders on the Civiglio, the penultimate climb. He went on to become the youngest-ever winner of the race. He was understandably pleased with his performance.
Read more below the photo!
Pidcock paid for poor positioning before the Civiglio
When Seixas went to the front on the decisive climb, Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone were the ones who initially managed to hold his wheel. Both eventually slipped backwards as Seixas kept riding away from the strongest riders in the race.
For Pidcock, the damage had started before Seixas even made the difference. "I think I had bad position going into the penultimate climb," he told Cycling Pro Net after the race.
"I made a bit of an effort to come to the front, went a little bit deep, got onto Paul's wheel and paid for it. I felt really good today, but on that climb I just went into the red and that was it. Other than that, I was okay."
Read more below the video!
Pidcock on Seixas: 'He was super strong'
What stood out most in Pidcock's account was how little Seixas seemed to need a dramatic acceleration. In the Briton's view, the Frenchman simply set a tempo nobody else could live with.
I don't think he really attacked. He just kind of made his own pace, a high pace. He was super strong.- Tom Pidcock to Cycling Pro Net
Once Pidcock lost contact, the podium fight moved away from him too. Enric Mas climbed through the race to take second place, while Ciccone held on for third. Pidcock came home sixth, 1:20 behind Seixas.
Unfamiliar route, but 'no excuses' from Pidcock
Pidcock also admitted that his limited knowledge of the course had not helped. The 2026 edition took a different direction through the Como finale than the version he had raced before.
I think today I also suffered from not knowing the route so well. It was the first time I'd done it this way, so that's definitely an advantage to have. But no excuses. I just wasn't strong enough. That's how it is.- Tom Pidcock to Cycling Pro Net
The sixth place capped a strong but frustrating autumn for the Briton. He repeatedly put himself in contention in the closing weeks of the season, yet Il Lombardia brought another high placing rather than the major victory he had been chasing.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- The “king is dead” line feels premature. Pogačar has dominated this race for years, and one brilliant Seixas win doesn’t mean his reign is over. The article leans a bit too hard into the hype.patriciaw12-10-2026
- How does Seixas’s win compare with Gerbi’s in 1905? Was the race anything like the Lombardia riders face today?michael5412-10-2026
- Evenepoel finishing fourth while apparently struggling is still a solid result, though it’s surprising he couldn’t carry his European title form into the race.bikebuffj12-10-2026
- Nibali’s point about Del Toro racing Gran Piemonte makes sense. UAE needed him fresh for Lombardia, especially with Pogačar absent.jeremya12-10-2026
- Seixas looked completely in control on Civiglio. Winning Lombardia at that age is extraordinary; the comparisons with Pogačar are inevitable, but he deserves to be judged on his own ride.tourdeforce912-10-2026
- How can he race a mountain-bike event just 15 hours after Lombardia? Does that mean he had to recover on the way there? I’m still figuring out how these races fit together!sprocketspiny12-10-2026
- Winning Lombardia without Pogačar there is still a huge achievement, though the headline makes it sound like Seixas is already chasing him personally. Is there any indication he’s actually considering UAE for 2028?andrewf12-10-2026
- The UAE interest is worth watching, but he’s under contract through 2027 and Decathlon clearly have a major talent to build around. No need to rush the transfer speculation.samanthak12-10-2026
- He’s right to keep Pogačar as the benchmark rather than claiming he’s already there. Second at Strade and Liège, plus fourth on his Tour debut at 19, is an incredible platform.robert6512-10-2026
- Seixas attacking on the Civiglio and then lining up at Roc d’Azur the next day is wild. The win matters, but that appetite to race says a lot about him.julien12-10-2026
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