Evenepoel: "I didn't come here to finish fourth."

Evenepoel was disappointed at the Lombardy: "I didn't come here to finish fourth." He then admitted his condition.

Remco Evenepoel leaves the 2026 Lombardy with an unsatisfying fourth-place finish. The European champion, one of the leading favorites, was unable to respond to Paul Seixas' decisive attack, admitting post-race that he had paid the price for the fatigue accumulated during a particularly challenging season.

The absence of Tadej Pogacar, the winner of the last five editions of the Classica delle Foglie Fallen, seemed to represent a major opportunity for Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider was aiming to win one of the few Monuments still missing from his list of victories, but on the roads of Lombardy, he had to contend with a surprising opponent and, above all, his physical condition.

The young Frenchman Paul Seixas triumphed at the finish line in Como, spearheading a decisive attack on the Civiglio, with 19 kilometers to go. Enric Mas and Giulio Ciccone rounded out the podium, while Evenepoel had to settle for fourth place, securing a sprint from the chasing pack.

Evenepoel makes no excuses: "I didn't come here to finish fourth."

At the end of the race, the European champion made no secret of his dissatisfaction. Intercepted by Flemish journalists near the team bus, Evenepoel admitted he hadn't had the energy to fight for the win.

"I didn't come here to finish fourth, but today I didn't have much more to give. I always want to win, but my legs wouldn't let me."

Words that tell the disappointment of a runner accustomed to showing up at major races with a single goal: to win.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe had managed the race according to plan, keeping their leader in the best positions ahead of the final altitude difficulties. However, as the race entered its decisive phase, Evenepoel was unable to find the necessary pace to keep pace with the leaders.

The Belgian gritted his teeth until the finish line, managing to beat world champion Brandon McNulty and Tom Pidcock in the sprint for fourth place.

Paul Seixas praised: "A well-deserved victory."

Despite his personal disappointment, Evenepoel unhesitatingly acknowledged the winner's superiority.

"What Seixas did was incredibly impressive. He deserved this victory."

The Frenchman, just twenty years old, won his first Monument Classic with a performance of great character. His acceleration on the Civiglio put all the main favorites in difficulty, including Isaac Del Toro and Ben Healy, who were unable to respond to the decisive move.

For Evenepoel, however, the Lombardia continues to be a complicated race. After two second-place finishes in previous editions, the Belgian has yet to postpone his chance at the top step of the podium.

Evenepoel admits: "In the last hour my legs locked up."

What worries the Belgian most is not only the result, but above all the difficulty in maintaining his level during the most demanding phases of the race.

Evenepoel explained that he had started most of the day with positive feelings, before feeling a clear decline towards the end.

"I felt good all day. Everything was going according to plan and we had the situation under control. But in the last hour, I wasn't at my best and my legs just locked up."

A difficulty that the runner did not want to turn into an alibi.

"It wasn't my best day on the bike, but it wasn't the worst either. We have nothing to reproach ourselves for."

The final decline could be linked to the fatigue accumulated in the previous months. After a season full of important results, including second place at the Tour de France, the world time trial title, and victory in the European Championships road race, Evenepoel seems to have lost some of the brilliance that had characterized him during the best moments of the year.

A very long season, but Evenepoel is not finished yet

The accumulated fatigue could also explain some of the difficulties encountered by the Belgian in the major races at the end of this season, starting with the road race at the World Championships.

Evenepoel himself acknowledged how challenging it was to maintain high fitness for so many months.

"It's been a long season. Over the summer, I've had some very good days and some less so."

However, the Lombardy does not yet represent the last competitive commitment of his 2026.

The European champion will close his season on Sunday 18 October at the Chrono des Nations in France, where he will once again try to exploit his qualities in time trials.

“Next week I’ll give it my all for another 45 minutes, then it’ll be over,” he concluded.

Evenepoel's 2026 season remains a top-level one, but his failure to win the Giro d'Italia inevitably leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. The Classica delle Foglie Morte remains one of his goals, while in Como, Paul Seixas took center stage, demonstrating his readiness to challenge the world's top cycling stars.