Il Lombardia is the last of the season's five monuments. The Race of the Falling Leaves is full of cycling heroics, and it is still missing from the palmares of Team Jumbo-Visma.

"We want to end Primoz's time in our team with a top performance and hope that the polished diamond that Primoz is will shine again”, Reef says.

The joint journey of Roglic and Team Jumbo-Visma began in 2016. At that time, the Slovenian came over from Adria Mobil. In no time at all, the collaboration became a success. In 2020, Roglic won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in a bloodcurdling finish. In Lombardy, Roglic has already finished fourth and seventh.

"Primoz looked very relaxed last week”, says Reef, describing the Slovenian's state of mind. "He also wants to get the best out of this race. This is also reflected in his training over the last few days. As well as winning the Tour of Emilia and finishing fourth in Tre Valli Varesine, he has also explored the Lombardy route. This shows Primoz's professionalism.”

Reef also praised the strength of the team that will compete in the northern Italian region on Saturday. "We have a solid group here. The guys are all motivated to excel. We did some fantastic things last year. We want to do the same in the last races of the season. Next Saturday, we can count on a strong team that will not give up in the final”, the sports director says.

La corsa delle foglie morte starts in Como on Saturday morning and finishes 238 kilometres later in Bergamo. With seven climbs and almost five thousand altimetres, the route offers plenty of challenges. "We also have a clear plan for this race. We are still in good shape at this stage of the season. The spirit of the guys is promising. We want to make Primoz's farewell race an exceptional one.”