Tadej Pogacar pushes through the pain to seal Il Lombardia hat-trick

Tadej Pogacar said he "pushed through" the pain after battling cramp in both legs during Saturday's Il Lombardia as the UAE Team Emirates star became only the third rider to win the season-ending Monument race three times in a row.

The Slovenian, 25, made his move on the decisive Passo di Granda climb and crossed the line first in Bergamo, comfortably ahead of a star-studded field of rivals.

Pogacar joined Alfredo Binda and seven-time Grand Tour champion Fausto Coppi, a winner four times between 1946 and 1949, to complete the streak of wins in the "Race of the Falling Leaves".

The victory continues another superb season for the world's top-ranked male road cyclist, who has also claimed prestigious titles in Paris-Nice, the Fleche Wallonne, the Tour of Flanders, and the Amstel Gold Race. In all, the two-time Tour de France champion has won 17 times this season.

"In the moment that I got a little gap, I knew the descent a little better than two years ago when it was a bit of a disaster for me, but today I gave it my all and it was tough to go so far to the finish," said Pogacar, who finished nearly a minute ahead of the chasing pack.

He cruised to victory despite picking up cramp in both his legs soon after reaching the plain between the decisive Passo di Granda and the punchy Colle Aperto which leads into Bergamo.

"I was thinking that was it, but I pushed through and I lowered down the power and focused on being as aero as possible to save myself for the final kick," he said.

"To win the third time at my third participation, second here in Bergamo, it's a dream to come solo and today it was fantastic. I was enjoying the last few kilometres even though it was so painful."

Pogacar saw off a field which included compatriot