The two-time Tour de France champion made his move on the decisive Passo di Granda climb and crossed the line first in Bergamo to win the Italian race for the third stright year.

UAE rider Pogacar became just the third man to win the "Race of the Falling Leaves" three years in a row after Alfredo Binda and seven-time Grand Tour champion Fausto Coppi, who won it four times between 1946 and 1949.

The Slovenian finished nearly a minute ahead of the chasing pack, capping another eventful year with a victory in the gruelling 238-kilometre race which contained a series of climbs including one into Bergamo less than 3km from the finish.

The Slovenian saw off a star-studded field including compatriot and reigning Giro d'Italia champion Primoz Roglic, who couldn't pull off a win in his last race before leaving Jumbo-Visma for Bora-Hansgrohe.

Roglic was among a clutch of riders including world time-trial champion Remco Evenepoel, Adam Yates and Julian Alaphilippe who had hopes of triumph in northern Italy but could do nothing to stop Pogacar.

French rider Thibaut Pinot also said goodbye in his final race as a professional road cyclist, one attended by hundreds of French fans who crossed the Alps in the vain hope that their hero could repeat his 2018 victory.