At the finish of Il Lombardia in Como, Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) flashed a rare smile. Perhaps he was enjoying the respect and recognition his rivals showed him by racing against him and chasing him down as he tried to chase down the eventual winner, Bauke Mollema.

After winning the Giro delle Miglia and Tre Valle Varesine, as well as last month's Vuelta a España, Roglic started Il Lombardia as the favorite to win; his incredible success in 2019 has made him a mark for Il Lombardia as well. Lombardia to make his mark.

When Roglic attacked in Civiglio, others jumped on him. Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) followed him as he set off after Morema on the flat before the final climb of San Fermo della Battaglia. He eventually finished in seventh place, 34 seconds behind Morema.

"I think they were racing to stop me from winning," Roglic said of his rivals' tactics as he rode through the chaos of the finish area and tried to board the Jumbo-Visma bus.

"I tried, but I think it always happens now. It's new for me, but everything is an experience for the future." He is not surprised, because when the Giro d'Italia visited Como in May, he banished the ghosts of his own comedic mistakes. When his Jumbo-Visma team took a natural break to change bikes, he was riding his teammate's bike when he crashed hard on the descent of the Civiglio, losing 40 precious seconds. All was forgotten from a successful season. This time he was able to finish the season in first place in the world standings with a 7th place finish on the shores of Lake Como. His rivals could only fight for minor rankings.

"I enjoyed finishing in Como this time," Roglic said with a sly smile. I enjoyed finishing in Como this time," he said. I look forward to the day I win in Como."

Roglic praised Morema for his victory and admitted that the others had made a mistake by watching each other and not working together to chase the Dutchman.

"As the saying goes: when two dogs fight over a bone, the third takes it away. The bigger players looked at me the whole time, but Bauke was the best and won well. The team was very strong.

"I can't wait for winter, but I'm looking forward to the next race. I think we had a very good season so we can enjoy the off-season and look to the future. It's been my most successful season to date. Last week I proved that I can compete in one-day races. I am more than happy to finish the season ranked number one in the world."