Paul Seixas becomes youngest Giro di Lombardia winner with solo victory

Paul Seixas became the youngest winner of the Giro di Lombardia after a solo attack carried the 20-year-old French rider to victory in the 239km one-day race. According to the Guardian, Seixas also became the fourth-youngest rider to win a Monument, finishing 48 seconds ahead of Vuelta champion Enric Mas, with Giulio Ciccone third, just over a minute behind.

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The decisive move came on the Civiglio climb with about 19km remaining. Within a kilometre of accelerating, Seixas had distanced all of his remaining rivals. Remco Evenepoel lost contact first, followed by Isaac del Toro and world champion Brandon McNulty. Evenepoel eventually finished fourth, one place ahead of McNulty, as Seixas completed his first Monument victory in only his third appearance in one of those races.

The result followed seventh place at Lombardia last year and second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April. Tadej Pogacar had won both of those events, as well as the previous five editions of Lombardia, but was absent from this race because of injury. Seixas therefore added a Monument title to a season that had already brought wins at the Tour of the Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne.

His other results this year included fourth at the Tour de France in July, his first Grand Tour, and runner-up finishes at Strade Bianche and the Montreal GP. The Lombardia victory also followed a difficult road race at last month's world championships, where cramp in the closing stages left him 15th. A week before that race, he had taken time-trial bronze behind Evenepoel and Filippo Ganna.

Before racing began, the peloton delayed the start for five minutes to protest against safety problems involving vehicles. Riders remained still after the organisers' countdown, and Evenepoel addressed spectators to explain their concerns about competitors being injured or killed while racing. The demonstration preceded the day's sporting contest rather than interrupting it.

Evenepoel referred to Finlay Tarling, who died following a collision with a vehicle at the Tour of Portugal on 14 August. The Guardian also reported that Thomas Gloag and Marcel Camprubi had been struck by a police motorcycle travelling in the opposite direction during Wednesday's Tre Valli Varesine.