Paul Seixas Il Lombardia victory marked a historic breakthrough, as the 20-year-old became the race’s youngest-ever winner.
The Decathlon CMA CGM rider claimed the first Monument of his career after a powerful solo move. He attacked on the Civiglio with 19.2km remaining and never came back.
Seixas first distanced most of the leading contenders on the penultimate climb. Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek and Tom Pidcock of Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling initially gave chase.
Pidcock later slipped from that immediate pursuit, while Vuelta winner Enric Mas emerged as Seixas’ main threat. Mas then dropped Ciccone on the final ascent of San Fermo Della Battaglia.
Yet Seixas held firm over the closing kilometres. He rode clear to the finish and had time to savour the biggest win of his career.
Paul Seixas Il Lombardia attack reshapes the finale
Seixas built his victory with one decisive acceleration rather than a long sequence of moves. He chose the Civiglio as the place to test the race.
His attack came earlier than planned, according to his post-race comments. He felt the rhythm lacked the intensity needed to create gaps.
"It is crazy," Seixas said after the finish, while still absorbing the scale of the win. He credited his team for saving his energy until the decisive moment.
Decathlon CMA CGM committed fully to Seixas throughout the race. Their work helped him reach the final climbs with enough strength to attack.
Seixas said he had "amazing legs" and sensed early that the day could become special. Once clear, he focused on pacing the effort alone.
He described the finale as a time trial, calling it "me against myself." That controlled effort carried him over the final climb and into the record books.
Mas and Ciccone complete the podium
Mas finished second, 48 seconds behind Seixas. Ciccone took third in his final race for Lidl-Trek, after losing contact with Mas on San Fermo Della Battaglia.
European championships runner-up Ciccone had followed the key selection on the Civiglio. He remained strong enough to secure the final podium place.
Remco Evenepoel had to settle for fourth, 1:20 down, despite major ambitions before the race. The new European champion entered with clear momentum.
Evenepoel’s history with Il Lombardia added weight to his latest attempt. He crashed in his 2020 debut, going over the side of a bridge.
That fall left him with a fractured pelvis. He has repeatedly targeted the race since then, finishing second to Tadej Pogačar in 2024 and 2025.
With Pogačar absent through injury, Evenepoel appeared to have another major opening. His European victory the previous weekend strengthened that belief.
However, when the pressure rose, Evenepoel lost contact with the main challengers. As at the worlds, he dangled behind key groups before fighting back late.
Evenepoel led the sprint for fourth place. New world champion Brandon McNulty of UAE Emirates-XRG continued his strong end to the season by taking fifth.
Pidcock finished sixth from the same group. Nine riders in total reached the line in that chasing selection behind the podium finishers.
For Seixas, the result confirmed a rapid rise at the highest level. His first Monument victory came with authority, timing, and rare composure for his age.
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