Tadej POGACAR. 10 and praise. Five participations, five victories. I could end here. There's little to say because there's too much to tell. In front of such beauty, one can only remain captivated and conquered. He wins Il Lombardia, after winning Strade Bianche, Flanders, Arrow, Liège, Dauphiné, Tour, World Championship, European Championship and Tre Valli. Twenty pearls, for a necklace that counts 107 in total. Twenty victories in 50 racing days: almost one victory every two. He wins in his own way, with a breakaway these days, because Taddeo has accustomed us to these things. And he has accustomed fans, the many children who today crowded the streets from Como to Bergamo. Far from driving people away from cycling, this prodigy of nature has brought them closer than it hadn't happened for a long time, and those who write the opposite are perhaps not on the roads of great cycling. Pogacar reaches Coppi and surpasses him, doing better, more, with his five consecutive victories like no one ever. He wins and entertains. He leaves crumbs to his opponents, but Merckx was not the type to make gifts, indeed, he didn't even leave the circuits. In 1971 the Cannibal won 34 times, the following year 32, in 73 another 30... We are facing a first-magnitude phenomenon, one of the greatest athletes of all time, on par with Pelé and Maradona, Phelps and Valentino Rossi, Tomba and Federer, Carl Lewis or Michael Schumacher. Let's enjoy the show, if we can.

Remco EVENEPOEL. 9.5. If Taddeo weren't there, he would have swept everything. He would have done what he did when Taddeo wasn't there, because he is the strongest of all. He hoped that on a less demanding route (so to speak) his chances would be higher. Instead, where everyone thought the Slovenian would close the race, the world champion closes it. The Belgian accepts the verdict, takes note and runs his race, which is far superior to everyone else's. He takes home yet another honorable placement, which does him honor, not before thanking Davide Bramati and the entire Soudal staff via radio for what has been done in these years. He arrives smiling, with a smile on his lips. In the end, he too must admit the strength of his opponent, even if Remco knows perfectly well that tomorrow is another day and the wheel turns.

Michael STORER. 8.5. He fights like a lion, until the end, scraping even the bottom of the barrel. But his gift is precisely that of having endurance and never ending up down there. He stays afloat with the greats, with the greatest. Last year Ciccone: this year him.

Quinn SIMMONS. 9. He enters the day's breakaway and races as if it were more of a time trial than a line race. An incredible fourth place, proving he has super legs. He passes first at Ghisallo, even if today it no longer represents what it represented in Coppi's times. But Ghisallo is a symbol of cycling, with its little church for cyclists, with the Bicycle Museum wanted by Fiorenzo Magni and excellently directed by Carola Gentilini and President Antonio Molteni. Ghisallo is also the finish line of the Pier Luigi Todisco Prize, which remembers the figure of the Gazzetta dello Sport colleague who tragically passed away on October 7, 2011, while reaching his workplace on his beloved bicycle. Today, the Lidl Trek American champion passed first, to whom this recognition went, helping to remember a friend and too many road victims.

Isaac DEL TORO. 7.5. The kid confirms he is a talent, even if after 200 kilometers and after a long and grueling season, the reserve light also turns on for him. He would be plan B, but plan A works wonderfully.

Thomas PIDCOCK. 6.5. So much effort, very much, but this is Il Lombardia and he interprets it well.

Paul SEXAIS. 7.5. The guy is only 19 years old and his 7th place finish is confirmation of a talent visible to the naked eye.

Christian SCARONI. 6. He arrives at Il Lombardia with wet powder, after a fierce battle at the European Championship. He does what he can and in the end is the first Italian.

Davide PIGANZOLI. 6.5. Apart from Storer who races incredibly, the Polti guy is the best, since he too is part of a second-division team.

Ben HEALY. 4. The Irishman lives an extremely off day. The route seems made for him, but today he is not himself.

Mattias SKJELMOSE. 8. A burning attack 170 kilometers from the finish in front of cameras not to attack, but to tell off the cameras, the TV operators who were too close to the chasing group and were acting as a support point for the UAE riders. A burning attack with obvious "go to hell" arm gestures on Eurovision. Was he right? Yes.

Filippo GANNA. 8. He enters the day's breakaway with his teammates Lucas Hamilton, Victor Langellotti, along with Gal Glivar (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Thibault Guernalec (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Quinn Simmons (Lidl Trek), Walter Calzoni (Q36.5), Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-QuickStep), Asbjørn Hellemose, Michael Matthews (Jayco AlUla), Bjorn Koerdt (Picnic PostNL), Mattia Bais (Polti VisitMalta) and Bart Lemmen (Visma | Lease a Bike). An action that is the score of three-quarters of the race, before the solo breakaway.

Salvatore PUCCIO. 10. Commitment, seriousness, rigor, for this fantastic team man, who today closed his more than honorable career. With him, on the last carousel round, Simone Petilli, Rafal Majka, Louis Meintjes and Pieter Serry. All guys who contributed to the show and to whom our thanks are due.