Tadej Pogačar, five-time defending champion, is not starting Il Lombardia 2026 because he is injured. Remco Evenepoel, second to him in 2024 and 2025, arrives as one of the two top favourites after winning the European Championships road race. He says a win on Saturday would make this his best season yet.

Pogačar is still recovering from injuries sustained in a crash at the Vuelta a España last month. Evenepoel finished second at Il Lombardia in 2024 and 2025, both times behind him. Cyclingnews calls Evenepoel and Isaac del Toro the top two favourites, and Escape Collective gives both five stars. Evenepoel's season already counts 13 wins, including two Tour de France stages and second overall, Amstel Gold Race, GP de Québec, Clásica San Sebastián, a fourth consecutive ITT world title and the European road title. He was unable to back up his time trial win in the World Championships road race in Montreal. Of the favourites he said: «…it will be an open race compared to previous years where the same rider won every time.»

Pogačar, who has won Il Lombardia five years in a row, is not on the start line, and Evenepoel himself calls this year's race open.

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