'It's become a situation where it might be hard for me to get anything for next year' – James Knox fears for his career after Il Lombardia

At the start of Il Lombardia, James Knox hoisted his bike upright onto its rear wheel, gave the front one a good spin with his hand, and watched on as five riders filtered through the tunnel of bikes that he and the rest of the peloton had formed in honour of their impending retirements . He might have been wondering whether he should be in the middle himself. There was no guard of honour, but Il Lombardia could well turn out to be the British climber’s final race.