🎥 Beautiful farewell for Majka in Lombardy: honor guard for the Pole and for Serry, Meintjes, Puccio, and Petilli

Majka decided earlier this year to retire. And it had to happen in Italy. “Because I started my career with an Italian team (Petroli Firenze, ed.), I wanted to end it in an Italian race, especially in Lombardy,” he told L’Équipe. “I remember the 2013 edition, when I finished third behind Joaquim Rodriguez and Alejandro Valverde. And now, I’m ending my career alongside the best cyclist in the world, a legend.”

He will once again try to help team leader Pogacar to a fifth consecutive victory in the Tour of Lombardy. The winning streak began in 2021, when Pogacar dropped the other favorites on the Passo di Ganda, the decisive climb that’s also part of this year’s finale. Majka still laughs when he remembers that edition. “I’ll never forget how Tadej was caught on the descent by Fausto Masnada,” he chuckles.

That was Pogacar’s first win in Lombardy and his second Monument overall. He had already won the Tour de France twice, but even then, his Polish super-domestique wasn’t entirely sure what Pogacar might become. “It was a surprise that he won. I knew he had talent, but heck... in the end, I had no words for it. Today, he’s a completely different rider. He’s become so intelligent, he reads races perfectly.”

A year later, the Slovenian started as the outright favorite for the first time. That year, he took care of Enric Mas, but it was also the first time UAE Team Emirates took full control at the front of a Monument for their leader: the start of a new era. “With Diego (Ulissi, ed.), we waited until the final climb to really accelerate. João Almeida also worked on the first ascent of the Ghisallo, and at the end Tadej went… ciao, ciao, ciao!”

In 2023, during his third victory, Pogacar crossed the line solo in Lombardy for the first time. “I think that’s when he began winning races solo,” Majka observed. “And also more easily. We see that now. He can attack anywhere, win anywhere, and I’ve never seen that in my life. I’ve worked for Peter Sagan and Alberto Contador, but this guy is a machine. A killer.'

Last year, the gap was enormous: the world champion finished 3 minutes and 16 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel. Since 2024, Pogacar has shown he’s miles ahead of the competition, and this year he looks like an even bigger beast. “He’s improved everything about himself. Mentally, but also physically. You can see he’s become a man, stronger than ever.”

For one last time, Majka will put himself at the front of the peloton in his trademark fashion for his leader. “On paper, it’s pretty simple: ride hard all day, and then we launch the rocket in the finale.” But even his loyal helper expects Pogacar’s dominance to eventually fade. “Tadej still has five years ahead of him to win everything and break all the records.”

It’s not just UAE Team Emirates–XRG that will miss Majka. That was clear at the start in Como, where the Pole was honored with a beautiful guard of honor. But he isn’t the only rider saying goodbye in Italy. Salvatore Puccio (INEOS Grenadiers), Pieter Serry (Soudal Quick-Step), Louis Meintjes, and Simone Petilli (Intermarché–Wanty) are also retiring. It made for some truly touching scenes.