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Follow us on GoogleIl Lombardia has a new champion after five long years, and Vincenzo Nibali has had his say on what it all means. The two-time winner of the Race of the Falling Leaves heaped praise on Paul Seixas, who became the youngest winner of the Monument since Giovanni Gerbi in 1905. He also had words of understanding for Remco Evenepoel and Giulio Ciccone. But not every team escaped his scrutiny.
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Seixas stayed in control all day and dropped his rivals with relative ease when he decided to bring down the curtain. The international press went all in on the Frenchman's ride, going as far as to say 'The king is dead, long live the king', in reference to Tadej Pogačar.
Read more below the photo!
Seixas dominated the 2026 Il Lombardia
Nibali: 'At 20 years old, you're allowed to make mistakes'
The only blemish on Seixas's run-up was the World Championships in Montréal. He was one of the protagonists of that race alongside Isaac del Toro, but cramped out of the group of favourites on the final lap and finished 15th. Nibali, speaking to quibicisport, does not see that as a failure.
He arrived at Il Lombardia in fantastic form after the World Championships. He had said himself that he was a bit disappointed, but in my opinion he put in a great performance in Canada too; I think he rode really well at the Worlds. At 20 years old, you're allowed to make mistakes.- Vincenzo Nibali to quibicisport
In Lombardy, Seixas let rival teams control much of the race and kept his cards close. On the decisive Civiglio climb, he made it clear who was strongest, and Nibali was struck by the manner of it.
Seixas radiated great confidence; he attacked on the Civiglio climb from the very bottom to the top, only getting out of the saddle once - so it shows he's very sure of himself. He set his own pace, went solo, and then claimed this very prestigious victory - becoming the youngest winner in the history of Il Lombardia since [Giovanni] Gerbi in 1905. So, this is what a changing cycling landscape looks like.- Vincenzo Nibali, winner of the 2015 and 2017 editions
Evenepoel struggled to 4th place at the 2026 Il Lombardia
Evenepoel and Ciccone paid for the European Championships
Remco Evenepoel put his teammates to work, but when it mattered he was fighting to survive rather than attacking. He still sprinted to fourth. Nibali links that to his European title, won a week earlier ahead of Giulio Ciccone, among others.
We probably all expected a little bit more from him, but he still finished fourth. It's understandable that he wasn't at 100% today; after all, he won the European Championship - beating Giulio Ciccone, among others - just a week ago.- Vincenzo Nibali
Ciccone was the last rider to try to follow Seixas. Enric Mas eventually caught and passed the Italian, but Ciccone still closed his autumn with a podium finish.
Giulio hadn't fully recovered from his efforts at the European Championships, yet he still put in a fantastic performance. Perhaps the surprise - if you could call it that - was Mas; we hadn't really seen him since the Vuelta, but he delivered a great performance here at Lombardia.- Vincenzo Nibali
Del Toro on Friday, at the team presentation for the Tour of Lombardy.
Nibali: UAE wasted Del Toro's energy
Nibali was far less forgiving towards UAE Team Emirates-XRG. With Tadej Pogačar absent, the team controlled the race for its leaders, but it did not work out as planned.
According to CyclingUpToDate, Nibali blamed the UAE directors for "wasting" Del Toro's energy in the run-up to Lombardia by sending him to the Gran Piemonte.
He shouldn't have raced Piemonte.- Vincenzo Nibali on Isaac del Toro
It is a pointed verdict on a rider who went toe-to-toe with Seixas in Montréal. The comparisons for the Frenchman are only just starting: Hincapie and Bruyneel have already weighed in, and it certainly won't end there.
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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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