THIBAUT PINOT

"The course suits me well. It’s a challenging course that goes up and down relentlessly. The year I won I broke away with Roglič, Bernal and Nibali. Winning ahead of Nibali gave even more value to my win. As the first Frenchman to win since Jalabert in 1997, I feel a lot of pride, as it’s one of the hardest classics to win. A finish in Bergamo is more for the puncheurs than the pure climbers, so that changes the way you race. The shore of Lake

Como is a lovely place to finish a race, especially with the nearby climbs like Civiglio. For me that’s the signature finish for Lombardy. My lasting memories of Lombardy are on the Ghisallo where you have the church, and bells ringing. There’s always a lovely ambiance around this race, including in the days before it. Generally the sun shines, and people know that in the evening after the race we can start our holidays."