Paul Seixas wins 2026 Il Lombardia with decisive Civiglio attack

Paul Seixas won the 2026 Il Lombardia with a decisive attack on the Civiglio, breaking clear inside the final 20 kilometres and riding alone to Como for the first Monument victory of his career. Enric Mas finished second at 48 seconds, with Giulio Ciccone third at 1:05.

The 20-year-old Frenchman turned an open edition of the race into a clear solo victory after Decathlon CMA CGM helped keep the contest under control through the final third of the 239km route from Bergamo to Como. Remco Evenepoel, Brandon McNulty and Tom Pidcock all finished in the next group at 1:20, but none could match Seixas once he accelerated on the decisive climb.

How it unfolded

Il Lombardia began with an unusual pause shortly after the start as riders staged a brief protest over race safety. Once racing resumed, the early kilometres were aggressive, with repeated attacks before a substantial break finally established itself.

The race remained difficult to control on the long approach towards Lake Como. George Bennett was among the riders active from distance, while attacks and counter-attacks continued as the break was gradually reduced. By the time the race reached the final 70km, the main favourites were moving closer to the front and the pace in the peloton began to increase.

Ben O’Connor accelerated from the break with 68km remaining, while Matteo Jorgenson and Louis Barré were among the riders trying to change the race from the favourites’ group. Decathlon CMA CGM remained prominent around Seixas, keeping the Frenchman well positioned as the race approached its decisive sequence of climbs.

With 47km remaining, a live timing feed briefly displayed a career-wins statistic involving Primož Roglič. That information was not a race result and Roglič was not leading the race. The actual contest was still developing, with the favourites together behind the remaining attackers.

The race changed on the Civiglio. Michael Leonard accelerated from the remnants of the break with around 19km to go, but behind him Seixas made the move that decided Il Lombardia. The Frenchman increased the pace sharply from the favourites’ group and immediately put several major rivals under pressure.

Evenepoel was among the first riders unable to hold the acceleration. Pidcock and Ciccone initially tried to stay close, but Seixas continued to press rather than easing after the first selection. His advantage opened quickly as the group behind reorganised.

By the time the race left the Civiglio, Seixas had a clear gap and the chase had fractured. Mas emerged as the strongest rider behind, while Ciccone fought to preserve a podium place in his final race for Lidl-Trek. Pidcock’s attempt to follow Seixas had cost him, and Evenepoel, McNulty and the other favourites were left racing for the lower places.

The San Fermo della Battaglia provided the final opportunity to close the gap, but Seixas showed no sign of weakening. Behind, Mas attacked from the chase and secured second place, while Ciccone remained clear enough to take third. Evenepoel led the next group home in fourth.

Seixas entered Como alone after 5:49:28 of racing, with enough time to enjoy the final metres before crossing the line. Mas arrived 48 seconds later and Ciccone followed at 1:05. The next seven riders in the top 10 were all recorded at 1:20.

Seixas turns an open Lombardia into a solo win

The absence of Tadej Pogačar had made this year’s race unusually open, with no single rider carrying the same control over the finale. Our Il Lombardia contenders preview centred on that uncertainty, with Evenepoel, McNulty and Pidcock among the riders expected to have a major influence.

Instead it was Seixas who produced the strongest move at the point where the race became selective. The 2026 route placed Civiglio deep enough into the race for any hesitation to be costly, and Seixas used that perfectly. Once the chase split behind him, the advantage was never seriously reduced.

Mas’ second place came from a measured ride through the final climbs. Rather than trying to match Seixas immediately, he emerged as the strongest of the chasers and then separated himself from the rest before Como. Ciccone’s third place was also a major result in his final outing for Lidl-Trek, completing the podium ahead of a group containing Evenepoel, McNulty and Pidcock.

Evenepoel finished fourth, 1:20 down, with McNulty fifth and Pidcock sixth. Pello Bilbao, Christian Scaroni, Filippo Zana and Mathys Rondel completed the top 10, all on the same recorded gap.

Il Lombardia 2026 Result