After the flag dropped for the neutralised start, the riders held a five-minute protest to stand as one in order to highlight rider safety and call for greater attention to the risks posed by vehicles in races. The action provided a significant beginning of the race before the peloton took on the last Monument of 2026.

Once the race was fully under way, Pidcock showed his strength and ambition by placing himself in the breakaway. As the race entered its final climbs, the battle at the front intensified. Pidcock stayed in the fight for a top result but was unable to follow Paul Seixas’s pace on the penultimate climb, Civiglio, eventually crossing the line in sixth place.

Reflecting on the race, Pidcock said: 

“I think I had a bad position going into the penultimate climb. I made a bit of an effort to come to the front and went a little bit deep on the wheel of Paul [Seixas] and paid for it, but I felt really good today. But in that climb, I went into the red and that was it. It was OK. He [Seixas] didn’t really attack; he just kind of made his own pace, high pace, so he was super strong. Today, I think I also suffered from not knowing the route so well. It’s the first time I’ve done this race, but no excuses.”

With Pidcock’s sixth place, Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team rounded off the season’s final Monument showing once again that the team is ready to race with intent.