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- Il Lombardia is the fifth and final Monument of the season, held in early October around Lake Como, Italy. Founded 1905, it closes the one-day Classics calendar before the off-season
- The Muro di Sormano ('the wall'): 2 km at 17% average, with pitches of 25%. It's one of the hardest climbs in professional cycling — used to shatter the field before the final selection
- The Madonna del Ghisallo: the climb's chapel is dedicated to the patron saint of cyclists, containing a cycling museum. The road up the Ghisallo is a pilgrimage for cyclists worldwide
- Tadej Pogačar has dominated (multiple wins 2021–2024). Most wins all-time: Fausto Coppi (5). The autumn setting — falling leaves, golden light, Lake Como — makes it the most picturesque race in cycling
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The route — Lake Como in autumn
Il Lombardia routes around the hills and lakes of northern Italy — Como, Lecco, Bergamo. The exact course changes year to year, but the ingredients are constant: long (240–260 km), hilly (4,000+ meters of climbing), and visually stunning (the riders pass Lake Como, medieval villages, and forests turning gold in the autumn).
The climbs: the Madonna del Ghisallo (the cycling pilgrimage), the Muro di Sormano (the wall), and the final climb to the finish (which varies — sometimes San Fermo della Battaglia in Como, sometimes a flat run after the last climb). The Muro di Sormano is the race's signature: 2 km of 17% average, with pitches exceeding 25%. It's so steep that the peloton shatters — only the purest climbers survive.
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The Madonna del Ghisallo — cycling's spiritual home
The Madonna del Ghisallo is a small chapel at the top of a climb overlooking Lake Como. In 1949, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Madonna del Ghisallo the patron saint of cyclists. The chapel now serves as a cycling museum, containing bikes and jerseys of legends (Coppi, Bartali, Gimondi, Merckx). A flame burns eternally for cyclists who have died.
For the riders in Il Lombardia, climbing the Ghisallo (during the race or in training) is a pilgrimage. The gradient is gentle (10.5 km at 4.5%) but the emotional weight is heavy — this is the spiritual home of the sport. Many amateur cyclists ride the Ghisallo when visiting Lake Como, stopping at the chapel to pay respects.
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The Pogačar era
Tadej Pogačar has made Il Lombardia his personal playground — winning multiple editions (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024). His climbing power on the steep Italian hills is unmatched: he attacks on the Muro di Sormano or the final climb, drops everyone, and time-trials to the finish alone. For Pogačar, Lombardia is the cherry on top of a season that already includes the Tour de France and spring Classics.
For other riders, Lombardia is the last chance to win a Monument before the off-season. The autumn light, the golden leaves, and the knowledge that the season is ending give Lombardia a unique, melancholic atmosphere — it's the most beautiful and the most bittersweet race in cycling. When the peloton climbs the Ghisallo for the final time each October, the cycling year is effectively over.
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