The curtain was brought down on the Professional Road racing season in early October. The two final major races were Il Lombardia and Paris-Tours … and they could not be more different! Lombardia, which loops along Lake Como is the only truly mountainous Classic with over 4400 meters of climbing. Paris-Tours, one of the oldest Classics dating back to 1896, is a very flat race that caters to the sprinters and now includes some gravel sectors. Both events this year had historic results that beg some questions!
Q1. On October 8, American Riley Sheehan, at just 23 years old, became the first ever American to win the Paris-Tours classic! Prior to Riley’s result, what was the best American finish in “The Sprinter’s Classic”?
Q2. Riley Sheehan’s father Clark was an American pro cyclist from 1990-2002, but his European racing was limited. What was his best result in international competition?
Q3. What is the best result by an American in Il Lombardia (previously known as il Giro di Lombardia or the Tour of Lombardy)?
Q4. By winning Il Lombardia for the third consecutive year, Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, joined an exclusive list that includes Sean Kelly, Gino Bartali, and Costante Girardengo. However, the 25-year-old still has a way to go for the all-time record. Who holds that record and how many “races of the falling leaves” did he win?
Q5. Pogacar also completed an extremely rare double by winning the cobbled Tour of Flanders in Belgium in April and the mountainous Lombardia in Italy in October. Very few riders today even ride both of these vastly different events. Had anyone prior to Pogi, achieved this double?
Click to the next page for the answers!
