Embed from Getty ImagesThe inevitable result, achieved through the most probable tactics: Tadej Pogaar wins Il Lombardia with an attack on the Colma di Sormano with 48km to go. The lack of surprise extended to his nearest rivals who did not dare to follow him, as if theyd decided to settle for second place already.Embed from Getty ImagesMany a team took to the start knowing if they didnt try something different then the result would be obvious. The race raged for the first two hours. Many a team briefing will have insisted on sending a rider or two up the road early in the hope of avoiding a direct confrontation with Pogaar and so the morning break was a constellation of strong names.Finally a group of 22 riders coalesced in time for the Valpiana climb at which point they had two minutes, with the bunch led by UAEs Jan Christen. Among those up the road were Eddie Dunbar (Jayco), Dani Martinez (RedBull), Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal-Quickstep), Rudy Molard (Groupama-FDJ), Thymen Arensman (Ineos), Tiesj Benoot and Wilco Kelderman (Visma-LAB), Matej Mohori and Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain) although the latter paid for the efforts just to get there and would soon be dropped.Embed from Getty ImagesThe breakaways lead kept rising with Christen and Finn Fisher-Black tasked with chasing. Three minutes. Four. Four and half. That was substantial and in the moment it looked like a lot for UAE to bring back, especially as they were lacking the likes of Mikkel Bjerg or Brandon McNulty. The was peak suspense for the day. The gap was boosted by a toilet stop for Pogaar and team mates.UAE massed on the climb to the Ghisallo climb and Rafa Majka led the charge. The breakaways lead was down to two minutes as the chapels bells rang out with Molard leading the way. With the descent and the scenic tour around the shore of the lake done the gap was just one minute at foot of the Colma di Sormano.Here the breakaway split with riders launching, but rather than making winning moves they seemed to be scattering uphill like beach-goers fleeing an approaching tsunami, just trying to postpone the inevitable moment they would be caught.Giulio Ciccone made a move from the bunch but Pavel Sivakov pulled him back and when the Frenchman stood up the pedals soon after to squeeze out the last few watts you could tell what was coming next.Embed from Getty ImagesWhen it came there was no response from the others. Pogaar just rode away, flamboyant in white shorts, his upper body seemingly rocking in different time to his cadence, like some jazz beat.Embed from Getty ImagesThis was always the most likely scenario, the long climb suiting Pogaar and once away no teams would be left to chase. If Remco Evenepoel and Enric Mas could not follow, they still distanced the rest. Lennert Van Eetvelt joined them to make a trio.Embed from Getty ImagesEvenepoels lack of reaction to Pogaar could be seen as a resignation but arguably a sign of wisdom. Indeed if the Slovenian is a better climber theyre a lot more similar downhill or on the flat and the Belgian tried to set off in pursuit once the Sormano was done. However this time he could not take back time.Embed from Getty ImagesIn the streets of Como Pogaar had time to coast and celebrate. He crossed the line, dismounted and raised his bike in the air. Still brandishing his bike, he turned around to look down the finishing straight and still no rival was in sight. Evenpoel arrived over three minutes down, then Giulio Ciccone secured third place thanks to a late move.Embed from Getty ImagesThe VerdictCertainly predictable, seemingly inevitable. Watching live there was a moment of doubt as the breakaway kept taking time and UAE alone were left to chase but with still 100km to go the suspense cooled.Tadej Pogaar finishes his season with his 25th win. Numerically, superficially compares to the modern day record set by Alessandro Petacchi in 2005. But feel the width: in a season of just 58 race days hes won two grand tours, two monuments, the worlds; then explore each race where hes often finished several minutes ahead, including the 3m16s margin here in Como. A year ago Pogaar still looked like he and his team could improve and weve seen this in evidence since. Pogaar hasnt yet completed road cycling but hes not far off, a win in Sanremo, Roubaix and two more in Paris all feel eminently achievable today. But nothings certain, indeed just repeating some of this years results could impress next year; rivals can only hope for this.Remco Evenepoel finishes a creditable second. With his Olympic double, a TT rainbow jersey and a podium in the Tour de France this will be a season to savour, especially for the way it was built out of rehab from the Basque crash. But at some point before the year ends he and his entourage will have to think where to go next year and like most others, to find some races Pogaar isnt doing even if hell relish the challenge at times too.Finally a verbal salute for Domenico Pozzovivo who finished his final Lombardia aged 41. He rode his first Giro di Lombardia in 2005 and has had three top tens. He would have had an unbroken run of starts if his team had been picked in 2009 until 2019, the year when he had a horror crash in training.The post The Moment Il Lombardia Was Won first appeared on The Inner Ring.