As the final Classic of the season, Il Lombardia has often flown a little south of the radar, despite its Monument status and stunning setting in the foothills of the Italian Alps. This year, that changed – all eyes were on the race as fans contemplated a fifth consecutive victory from Tadej Pogačar. He did not disappoint. As if by action-replay, he tore away on yet another long-distance breakaway and took the win, matching the record of Fausto Coppi, five-time winner of the race between 1946 and 1954.

Not everybody was delighted. Amid the cheering Pogi fans, there were dissenting voices – voices that had begun to gain a critical mass over the previous few weeks. “It’s the same thing again and again,” one fan wrote on CW’s Facebook page. Another said the dominance was lessening their interest in the sport. For some, yet another barely contested Pogačar victory was too much to bear. The great entertainer was starting to become boring.

Of course, the 27-year-old is only doing what he is paid to do, or even what he was born to do, if you want to be romantic about it. There is no question that Pogačar tends to win in dramatic, fan-pleasing fashion. But the same story repeated time and again becomes tiresome, and it has started to feel like 'Pogačar fatigue' is setting in.

Questions have already been raised over how long the world champion can continue to tick off prestigious race wins with apparent ease. Many have speculated on when he might retire – even his mother said she would understand if he left the sport in the near future, having seen how tired he was after the Tour de France – when he admitted that he couldn’t wait “for it to be over”. He remains under contract with UAE Team Emirates-XRG until 2031.

Entertaining dominance

To assess the scale of Pogačar’s dominance, former pro and TNT cycling commentator Brian Smith suggests stepping back from his latest Il Lombardia victory and taking in the broader landscape. “There are 36 WorldTour events in the year, he's won eight of them,” Smith tells Cycling Weekly. “I covered a lot of these races, and I can totally understand that nobody likes dominance. Nobody likes what Team Sky did to the Tour de France in the overall – people weren't entertained. But [with Pogačar] I think they have been entertained.”

For Smith, Il Lombardia was the only race that was too predictable. "You could argue that all the other races have been pretty competitive," he says, pointing out that the Slovenian races "with flair" and "in an entertaining way". Pogačar remains a supremely popular rider, of course, and while his team is the strongest in the peloton, it doesn't seem to snuff out competition in the way that, say, Team Sky or US Postal Service did in their heyday.

Those teams would routinely suffocate their rivals on key Tour de France stages before unleashing their leader to seal the GC. It was brutally effective but drained the drama from what should have been the race’s most thrilling moments, leaving neutral fans disillusioned. Under UAE-Pogačar, the dynamic is different: the dominance is no less real, but it’s far more individual than systematised. Even if you can safely bet that the eventual winner of any given race will be a Slovenian with the initials “TP”, it usually comes after an exciting turn of events – even if it is a carbon-copy audacious long-range attack. Not so long ago, such attacks would have had us rapt.

Still, for fans – and certainly for his rivals – there is an appetite for closer-run battles, says Andy McGrath, author of the new biography Tadej Pogačar: Unstoppable. It’s how the Slovenian reacts to defeat that reveals his true greatness, reckons McGrath. “You need lows to have highs,” he says. “It wouldn’t be very interesting if he just won everything for the last five or six years. Probably, my favourite defeat was the Tour of Flanders in 2022, when he somehow finished fourth, and he was swearing at everyone else. You saw he had that edge – that’s easy to forget… That moment said more than a thousand words could. He’s an inveterate winner, that’s how you win these races, you have to be wired slightly differently.”

Cast your mind back to the late Sixties and early Seventies, the era of Eddy Merckx – now remembered as a “golden age”. At the time, though, the all-conquering Cannibal wasn’t universally adored; many complained that his dominance was “boring”. Only after his retirement did the perspective on his achievements shift and consensus form that he was the sport’s greatest legend.

As McGrath puts it: “[Pogacar] shouldn’t be taken for granted. Why is excellence boring? When Pogačar goes, probably in five years’ time, we won’t see someone like that for decades, probably ever. It’s tricky.” Yet McGrath also acknowledges the tension at the heart of Pogačar’s dominance. “On one hand, I would say enjoy this, and cherish this, and on the other hand, sport requires unpredictability and rivalry, and we’re not getting much of that when he is attacking from 50km to go in every race and winning quite comfortably.”

The rivals

While Pogačar’s dominance looks set to continue for years to come, a few rivals are capable of challenging him – particularly in the one-day races he covets. At Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix, Mathieu van der Poel has already asserted his authority. The Dutchman, winner of both those Monuments in 2025, appears to be the rider who can disrupt Pogačar’s ambitions. On the capi of Italy and the pavé of northern France, recent results have shown Pogačar meeting his match.

Smith notes that Van der Poel dominates cyclo-cross in a manner reminiscent of Pogačar on the road. “It's a bit like watching Formula One,” he says. “You watch the start and after that there are gaps everywhere – there's really no excitement.” Yet Van der Poel thrives in the unpredictability of long, one-day Classics, and has demonstrated he can match Pogačar. There’s a strong chance he will keep these races compelling next spring by preventing Pogačar from having it all his own way.

“The fire burning within Pogacar is the fact that he hasn't won Milan-San Remo yet,” says Smith. “He hasn't won the Vuelta yet. I say yet, because I believe that he can. [After that] what else has he got to prove? What else is he going to do?”

Joining the 'Club Cinque'

What about Pogačar’s other targets? Another Tour de France win would see him join the celebrated 'Club Cinque' of five-time champions, while Liège-Bastogne-Liège and a third World Championships remain tantalising opportunities. Is there any hope for his rivals?

There is, but it may require ingenuity, says Smith, who believes opposing teams need to be more collaborative and inventive. He points to Lidl–Trek’s Quinn Simmons at Il Lombardia, whose attack from the gun left Pogačar's UAE team, by their own admission, “a little afraid".

“They're not infallible, you know,” Smith adds. “Some of the teams are just riding to help them, and they shouldn't. I know it's a difficult thing to organise between the teams, because there has to be a lot of trust and friendship.”

For Smith, teams often appear to be racing for podiums rather than victories when facing Pogačar, settling for the UCI points available for second and third. But there are riders who can beat him – Jonas Vingegaard, for instance, who’s proven it twice at the Tour de France. Smith also highlights Remco Evenepoel. “[Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe] have got a really strong team for next year, and the fact that Remco thinks that he can still beat [Pogačar] is a good thing,” he says.

“You have to believe that.” Whether Pogačar’s rivals can ultimately topple him or not, his status is indisputable. “He's the complete athlete at the moment,” Smith adds, “and what we are seeing, in my eyes, is the best cyclist ever.”

When the Monument races of cycling come to mind, it's easy to get caught up in the early-season Classics like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. But trace a line through the calendar, and right at the end you will find Il Lombardia, which takes place on Saturday, 11 October.

Given its 120-year history it probably deserves a bit more recognition than it tends to get. But a four-year winning streak by Tadej Pogačar that could become five this time round has helped bring it to the forefront of fans' minds of late.

It doesn't hurt that the setting – in Northern Italy's lakes and Alpine foothills – is pretty dazzling, even if the parcours tends to change from year to year. This year it runs 241km from Como to Bergamo and takes in seven classified climbs – three of which are above 1,000 metres.

With Pogačar back to defend and up against riders including Remco Evenepoel and Tom Pidcock, it should be a great watch, andCycling Weekly has compiled everything you need to know about broadcasters and live streams, so you can watch Il Lombardia wherever you are in the world.

Quick guide to watching Il Lombardia

• UK: TNT Sports / Discovery+ (£30.99/mon)
• North America: HBO Max (USA, $16.99/mon), Flobikes (Canada, $39.99/mon)
• Australia: Staylive (AUD$5.99/mon)
• Free: RAI Play (Italy)
• Anywhere: Watch your usual stream while abroad with NordVPN

How to watch Il Lombardia in the UK

In the UK, Il Lombardia – as with pretty much all pro cycling – will be shown on TV on TNT Sports and online on Discovery+. Both platforms are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.

The race is live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ from 9.30am BST on the same day.

Discovery+ costs £30.99 a month since the price rise one month ago. TNT Sports is also £30.99 a month, but is cheaper with certain TV packages.

How to watch Il Lombardia in the US and Canada

For North American viewers, this year's coverage of Il Lombardia is on HBO Max and FloBikes.

If you're in the US, you'll want to head to HBO Max. Subscriptions start at $16.99 per month, or you can choose to pay $169.99 a year.

FloBikes will be broadcasting Il Lombardia in Canada. Subscriptions cost $30 or CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans.

Can I watch Il Lombardia for free?

You can watch Il Lombardia for free in the host country of Italy, where public broadcaster RAI has the rights.

TV viewers will find the race on RAI 2, while the Il Lombardia free live stream is on RAI Play.

Coverage is geo-restricted so will only work in Italy, unless you use a VPN to access your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.

How to watch Il Lombardia from anywhere

A good VPN will not only bolster your internet security but will also wipe out the geo-restrictions you find on most streaming services these days, allowing you to access your usual streaming services while you're abroad.

It's a great tool for cycling fans on the move, and NordVPN comes in as the best in class according to our colleagues across the office at TechRadar.

Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations...
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?

When is Il Lombardia on?

Il Lombardia begins at 10:55 CET on Saturday October 11, and is due to finish in Bergamo at 17:00.

UK coverage of Il Lombardia begins at 09:30 BST.

In the US, HBO Max's coverage begins at 04:30 EDT.

In Canada, Flobikes' coverage starts at 04:30 EDT.

In Australia, coverage of the race starts at 21:00 ACT and runs into the early hours of Sunday morning.

See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide

What to expect from Il Lombardia

Il Lombardia is the last of the year's five Monuments of bike racing. These are the biggest and oldest one-day races on the men's calendar [World Championships aside] and begin in March with Milan-San Remo. The others are Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so Lombardia has a lot to live up to.

To keep up with its Monumental brethren, Lombardia still needs to add its own women's equivalent. Meanwhile, it tempts fans and riders alike with its lakes-and-mountains parcours and attritional distance.

Pre-race favourites do not come clearer than defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who has stunned rivals and dazzled fans with his outlandish solo victories in races including the European and World Championships road race.

His armour isn't entirely without chinks though, as rival Remco Evenepoel proved in the World Championships time trial when he caught and passed the Slovenian. Soudal Quick-Step rider Evenepoel has come second to Pogačar in the recent Worlds and Euros road races and will be on the start line in Como, hoping to make amends.

Also present are last year's third place finisher Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), all of whom are capable of taking the fight to Pogačar on a good day.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Tadej Pogačar heads to Il Lombardia this weekend aiming to win his fifth consecutive title at the final Monument of the season. If he does, and who would bet against him, he'll step up to the top of the stats table and share the honour of being a five-time winner with a true Italian legend.

Fausto Coppi is the only rider to have won the race of the falling leaves five times, just one reason Il Campionissimo (the champion of champions) is still thought of as the greatest Italian cyclist of all time.

For all the info you need for the one-day race that winds it's way around the picturesque Lombardy region in northern Italy, taking in the roads around Lake Como, check out our preview.

To test your knowledge of the race that brings the curtain down on the European road race scene, take our quiz below and find out if you're a monumental cycling know-it-all or a Lombardia luddite.

IThe questions for this quiz were compiled from various sources, including The Monuments, by Pete Cossins, Wikipedia and Procyclingstats.com

Previous Friday Cycling Quizzes

The pro cycling transfer market

Tadej Pogačar explained that the devastating attack which put him on track for a fourth straight ll Lombardia victory was part of a meticulous plan to get the final race won in his record-breaking season of achievement. 

Resplendent in his rainbow jersey, the road World Champion took flight with 48 kilometres to go on the steep gradients of the Colma di Sormano climb and went on to win the final Monument of the year by more than three minutes. 

As has often been the case this season, one stinging burst of speed from the Slovenian saw him open up a gap which none of his rivals could close.

Remco Evenepoel fought valiantly behind Pogačar as he attempted to get back on terms. But the double Olympic champion was unable to bridge the gap between himself and Pogačar and took a gutsy second place. Giulio Ciccone completed the podium after a late attack in the final kilometres. 

Speaking post-race, Pogačar said that he always intended to jump towards the summit of the Sormano and thanked his UAE Emirates teammates for their part in his 25th victory of the campaign. 

"We planned this because the race is so hard that in the end, the last 40 km is more or less man on man, and I knew that if I had a decent gap at the top, I could manage to come to the finish. But you never know if it will happen or not," Pogačar said of his attack. 

"It was a big day for us," he added. "A long race, a hard race, and it was all dependent on our team. So I think we did a super good job and I'm super happy to win for the team."

Pogačar’s victory meant that he equalled the great Fausto Coppi’s achievement of four straight Lombardia wins. But the Slovenian did not want to dwell too much on the historical significance of the achievement and said that he valued all of his victories in 2024 equally. 

"Every victory is special, and today also, because the team worked so hard all year for all the victories that we achieved, and today is no different," he said. 

Ready for the off season

After he had attacked, Pogačar used every inch of road surface to continue to push his advantage home as he surged towards the finish in Como. Making full use of his newly painted Colnago V4RS, the Slovenian exploded into every climb and attacked every descent as the time gap to Evenepoel increased. 

Pogačar explained that he had been determined to maintain both a physical and psychological advantage over the chasers as he pushed on for the win. 

“There was a moment, just after the downhill, where it was really fast and was a little bit up and down,” he said. “There I tried to push to gain a few more seconds to also win the mental game on this chase so I tried to just push as hard as possible.”

After kicking off his season with an 80 kilometre plus solo raid at Strade Bianche, Pogačar went on to win the Volta a Catalunya, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the road World Championships and more. 

With an incredible year now concluded, Pogačar said that he was now ready for a holiday before he gets set to return to action in 2025. The Slovenian soaked up the final moments of his Lombardia win as the Italian crowds roared their approval after witnessing yet another masterclass from the 26-year-old. 

"I was just enjoying the crowds," he said as he finished reflecting on his final win of the year. "I’m looking forward to the off season now."

Tadej Pogačar stormed to a historic fourth consecutive victory at Il Lombardia after launching an unanswerable attack on the slopes of the Colma di Sormano climb. 

Pogačar rode solo for 48 kilometres to the finish line in Como to take his 25th individual victory of the season. The win also saw the Slovenian equal Fausto Coppi’s record of four straight Lombardia victories and capped a remarkable year in which he recently won the road world title in Zurich. 

As well as his Giro d’Italia and Tour de France titles, Lombardia marked his second Monument victory of the season after he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège in April. 

After Adam Yates and Pavel Sivakov reeled in the remnants of the day’s breakaway on the Sormano, a big attack from Pogačar felt imminent. It came almost instantly after Sivakov caught the last man standing, Thymen Arensman, and was simply unanswerable. 

Remco Evenepoel, Enric Mas of Movistar and Lotto Dstny’s Lennert van Eetvelt attempted to follow, but the trio struggled to work cohesively together as they attempted to pursue the man in the rainbow jersey. Olympic champion Evenepoel dropped Mas and Van Eetvelt at the summit of the Sormano but was unable to bridge across to the rampaging Pogačar. 

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) eventually got across to the front group in the closing stages before quickly distancing them to take third. Evenepoel held on for a valiant second place, although the World Champion’s dominance meant that he finished more than three minutes ahead of the double Olympic champion. 

As he rode into the final few kilometres, a smile began to appear on Pogačar’s face as he knew that yet another victory was in the bag. He cruised under the one kilometre to go banner and soaked up the moment as he crossed the finish line with his arms aloft. 

The Triple Crown winner then climbed from his Colnago bike before raising it to the skies in celebration to round off a remarkable season.  

How it happened

The final Monument of the year kicked off with drama when Tom Pidcock revealed that he had been "deselected" from the Ineos Grenadiers lineup on the eve of the race. The British star was previously expected to lead the team in Italy. 

Once the race got underway a large breakaway of 21 riders got up the road and gradually established a lead of around four and a half minutes. Matej Mohorič and Damiano Caruso were present in the move for Bahrain Victorious. Other big names included Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) and Daniel Martínez of Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. 

With 84 kilometres to go the lead group were onto the slopes of the Madonna di Ghisallo climb. The pace was gradually beginning to ramp up in the peloton behind them with UAE Team Emirates lined out at the head of the bunch. Tadej Pogačar was well placed alongside his teammate Rafal Majka as the UAE train gradually cut into the breakaways advantage. The leader’s gap had been cut by a minute as the peloton began to ascend the Ghisallo.

The intense pace set by Adam Yates, Majka and Marc Hirschi on the climb meant that the breakaway’s lead was reduced to under two minutes as the riders began the descent and headed towards the Colma di Sormano. Mohorič was leading the charge amongst the front group, ensuring the pace remained high and the peloton were kept at bay for as long as possible. 

The lead group's advantage stood at just one minute as the Sormano began with 54 kilometres to the finish. Meanwhile back down the road it was over to Yates and Pavel Sivakov for UAE. Pogačar sat ominously in third wheel as Yates went to work and began to shred the time gap to the front of the race. Sivakov soon took over as the peloton snaked through Sormano's series of hairpins and cut the gap to 30 seconds. 

Sivakov soon swallowed up the remnants of the break. Just as the peloton made contact with the last men standing, Arensman and Xandro Meurisse of Alpecin-Deceuninck, it was over to Pogačar and he attacked instantly. A trademark explosive acceleration saw him quickly open up a gap over Remco Evenepoel, Movistar’s Enric Mas and Lennert van Eeetvelt of Lotto Dstny, the only riders capable of even attempting to follow.  

The Slovenian had more than a minute on the Evenepoel group as he crested the Sormano and tore into the descent. An acceleration from Evenepoel meant that he could begin the technical downhill with a gap on Mas and Van Eetvelt. Sivakov was the next man on the road. 

Pogačar’s onslaught continued and he soon had two and a half minutes on Evenepoel which only continued to increase. Evenepoel fought courageously as he attempted to get back on terms with the Slovenian but his efforts were not enough to catch the flying World Champion. 

Pogačar began to sit up as the final kilometres ticked by as he began to realise the win was his. A late move from Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) saw the Italian bridge across to Mas, Van Eetvelt and Sivakov. Ciccone then tore past them to take third as Evenepoel held on for second behind the race winner. 

Results

Il Lombardia 2024: Bergamo > Como (255 km) 

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 06:04:58
2. Remco Evenepoel (Bel) Soudal Quick-Step, + 03:16
3. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Lidl-Trek, + 04:31
4. Ion Izagirre (Esp) Cofidis, + 04:34
5. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar,
6. Pavel Sivakov (Fra) UAE Team Emirates,
7. Lennert van Eetvelt (Bel) Lotto Dstny, all at same time
8. Neilson Powless (Usa) EF Education-EasyPost, + 04:58
9. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ,
10. Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, all at same time

Tom Pidcock has said he was “deselected” from Ineos Grenadiers’ squad for Il Lombardia, as speculation about his future at the team continues to mount.

The 25-year-old was expected to be among the contenders at the end-of-season Monument, which takes place on Saturday. It was revealed on Friday evening that he will not be part of Ineos Grenadiers’ seven-rider team.

“Just as things were on the up after a turbulent end to the year I am deselected for Lombardia tomorrow,” Pidcock wrote on Instagram. “I am in great shape and was really looking forwarded to it! Good luck to the boys, I guess off season starts early. Thanks for everyone’s support even in the tough times.”

In the Ineos Grenadiers team selected for Il Lombardia, British riders Ethan Hayter, Ben Swift, Connor Swift and Ben Turner will be joined by Thymen Arensman, Jonathan Castroviejo and Brandon Rivera.

Pidcock’s exclusion comes after he impressed in the recent Italian Classics, placing runner-up to world champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) at the Giro dell’Emilia, and 15th at Gran Piemonte, Ineos Grenadiers’ best-placed rider at the event.

Transfer speculation has surrounded Pidcock in recent months, with rumours of a possible departure from the British WorldTour squad. At the Olympics in August, where he retained his mountain bike gold medal, the 25-year-old said he was feeling “mentally a bit frazzled” by talk of his long-term future. He is understood to have a contract at Ineos Grenadiers until 2027.

Last week reports emerged that ProTeam Q36.5 Pro Cycling were interested in signing the Brit. “Sources confirmed [to] us that Q36.5 is interested to sign Tom Pidcock (now with Ineos Grenadiers) already for 2025,” Gazzetta dello Sport reporter Ciro Scognamiglio wrote on X. “‘It’s possible’ a source close to the swiss team told us. Talks ongoing at this stage.”

Approached by Cycling Weekly last week, a spokesperson at Q36.5 was unwilling to confirm or deny the rumour.

Pidcock has not raced Il Lombardia since he turned professional with Ineos Grenadiers in 2021. His best Monument result to date is second at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2023. His palmarès counts victories at the one-day Classics Strade Bianche and Amstel Gold Race, the latter in March this year.

Cycling Weekly has contacted Ineos Grenadiers for comment on Pidcock’s absence from the Il Lombardia squad.

Come Saturday evening, Thibaut Pinot will no longer be a professional bike rider. The man from Haute-Saône in eastern France will climb off his bike after Il Lombardia, conduct his last post-race interviews, take off his kit one final time, shower, and then cease to be a cyclist. Come Sunday, the 33-year-old will likely already be back home, at his farm, preparing to live his new life with his goats.

Not simply exist, though, in a post-cycling haze, but actually live his life, have fun, relish his rural actuality. As he told French newspaper Libération, at the Tour of Luxembourg last month: “I am finally going to enjoy my life.”

Some seek fame; others have fame thrust upon them. The Groupama-FDJ rider was very much the latter, he never did understand his fame. In that same Libé interview, the Frenchman expresses his bemusement at the love fans have shown him over his career: “I can’t understand. I don’t really have an answer to all that.”

The thing is, Pinot does engender a fierce adoration, a respect, even sympathy, from his fans, even if it is not wanted, or at least not demanded. Unlike others at the top of the sport, he shows how he really feels, from his suffering to his adulation, it is all there to see. 

What he inspires is not the shallow adulation of social media either, but a tangible effervescence on the roadside. Thibaut Pinot is something else; people can watch the best riders in the world ride past and contain themselves, but lose themselves in his presence.

I was there, at the Tour of the Alps in 2022, when in a typical attack, Pinot launched himself clear, spending 74km up the road alone, in search of a win that he hoped would soothe the pain of having gone without one since 2019. However, he did not count on other riders having a say. Inevitably, he was caught and dropped by Miguel Ángel López, crushing his dream of turning a "s***ty page" in his career.

He sat there, on the side of the road, in the quiet Austrian Alpine village of Kals am Großglockner, sat back against the metal barrier, distraught. While other riders would have gone straight to the bus, Pinot remained there, staring into space. Would that win have truly made him fall back in love with cycling? It's doubtful. While he won the next day, the image of him heartbroken will live longer in my memory than of him winning.

He hasn't won this year, but it was never about that with Pinot. With him the losses almost seemed more important than the wins. The pain and heartbreak, so evident to see, made the wins, when they came mean something. 

It's not that we enjoyed seeing him miss out, lose, but it was perhaps easier to relate to. Who among us doesn't carry upon our person the brand of the pain of falling short of our ambitions? It's the reason the blues persists, the reason bleak films and fiction exist, it's the reason the sad music of artists like boygenius or Nick Cave can fill arenas.

But, in sport that alone is not enough, there must also be hope and Pinot provided regular doses. In 2023 he came close again and again at the Giro d'Italia, finishing second on two stages, living up to his moniker as the nearly man, allowing him to show his emotion on repeat. 

It was the same at the Tour de France, where he was in the breakaway five times, including one last time on stage 20 to Le Markstein. He rolled the dice one last time, made the breakaway, attacked with 31km to go, only to be caught with 13km still to race. He finished seventh. One more near miss, for the king of near misses.

On one bend on the Petit Ballon there was a whole Pinot fan club, hordes of fans crying out for their hero - the stage was close to his home - and it felt like the perfect send off.

Not that Pinot likes meeting his adoring public: “I think I am more stressed to see them than they are to meet me."

“Thibaut Pinot is a unique rider," his team boss, Marc Madiot explained that day, barely drawing a breath over the next paragraph. "He’s a unique rider because, when you look at his palmarès, it’s a few lines on a sheet of paper. But each line has a meaning, a story. Why is there so much emotion today? Well, quite simply because I think he’s an authentic rider. He lays himself bare, he shows everyone what he’s about. 

"Sometimes I’ve even called him up on it and said, ‘You’re giving too much of yourself.’ But actually, it’s what has created his strength and his popularity with the fans. Thibaut never pretends. When you’re with him every day in the team, it’s not always easy, because you feel his torment and difficulty along with him. But conversely when he goes on the hunt for success, he carries you in his arms. 

"It’s really, really, really unique. When people make rankings of the best riders in history, Pinot won’t be there. But he’ll be remembered as one of the most real riders.”

Pinot probably won't win Il Lombardia on Saturday, although he did win it in 2018, one of the crowning achievements of his career. It's crucial not to forget he won 33 races, was the best young rider at the Tour de France, finished on the podium of the same race, won the mountains jersey at the Giro. He has been a great rider.

However, his position in the sport has been elevated through his near-misses, his attempts, and the fact that he has been so emotive through it all.

As Madiot put it: “We can think: it wasn’t always easy. But we lived it.”

Pinot is not the only rider retiring this weekend; Paris-Tours sees the end of the careers of Greg van Avermaet and Tony Gallopin. Just last weekend Peter Sagan stepped off his bike for a final time. Pinot's departure feels different though, the end of an era of riders showing how they really feel, perhaps the last of the great emoters in the sport of cycling. We live in an age of media-trained automatons to which the man from the Haut-Saône did not belong, could not belong.

Farewell, Thibaut. I hope the extra time with the goats brings you happiness. 

 Pogačar reasserts status as world’s best

For the last couple of months, the cycling world has been ablaze with talk of the coming of age of one Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl). With the young Belgian having been crowned world champion just weeks after claiming a maiden Grand Tour title at the Vuelta a España, the question was being asked — is Evenepoel the best rider in the world?

Re-enter Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). As recently as three months ago, you’d struggle to find anyone willing to argue against the Slovenian as the world’s best, but his defeat at the Tour de France diluted the aura of invisibility he had established. 

By winning Il Lombardia on Saturday in such dominant fashion, however, Pogačar offered a timely reminder of just how peerlessly brilliant he is. He attacked to devastating effect on the Civiglio, with only Enric Mas (Movistar) able to follow, and could rely on his lethal finishing sprint to take victory over the Spaniard in the finale. 

Maybe Evenepoel has just about had the better season, but he hasn’t enjoyed the kind of prolonged period of success that Pogačar has. Since his first Tour success two years ago, never have several months gone by without him registering at least one huge result, whether it be his two Tour de France titles and one runner-up finish, or his three monument victories. Sure, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) got the better of him at the Tour this July, but Pogačar enjoyed revenge for that result in Lombardy, with the Dane floundering in 16th, demonstrating just how much more diverse the Slovenian's talents are. 

We can’t wait for him and Evenepoel to face-off in the future, in what’s likely to be a generation-defining rivalry. But for now, Pogačar remains the don of the peloton. 

Mas in danger of becoming cycling’s eternal bridesmaid

From Raymond Poulidor to Jan Ullrich, cycling history is full of exceptional athletes who are nevertheless better remembered for their defeats rather than their victories.

Is Enric Mas in danger of becoming the latest eternal bridesmaid? He was out-sprinted by Tadej Pogačar in the final of Il Lombardia to place second, to go alongside the three runner-up finishes at the Vuelta a España he’s already registered in his career.

To be fair to Mas, this was a seriously impressive ride. To be able to follow such a devastating Pogačar attack took very strong legs, and the pair were head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Like his defeat at the Vuelta to Remco Evenepoel, his failure to win was not down to his own shortcomings, but the brilliance of his opponent. 

But it’s true that Mas doesn’t win a lot — in fact, the Giro dell’Emilia last week was his first since April 2021. He still needs to develop more of a killer instinct to become one of the peloton’s very elite riders, but he’s improving all the time, and looks to be on the verge of his peak years. 

Nibali and Valverde bid quiet farewells

All eyes were on Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan) at Il Lombardia as they competed in the last races of their historic careers.

In this year of so many high-profile retirees from the peloton, which also includes Philippe Gilbert, Richie Porte and Tom Dumoulin, these two might just be the greatest of them all. It almost seemed unfair that they had to share the limelight at Lombardia and not have separate races each to bid farewell. 

Valverde had not won a race since February, and Nibali had been winless all year, but as such champions of the sport, you still sensed it was possible for them to find a way to give their careers the best possible send off.

Ultimately, however, both riders bowed out quietly. Given his aggressive instincts and love for putting on a show, a Nibali attack was highly anticipated, but the first and only time he was centre stage was when he was being dropped on the Civiglio climb. He went on to finish 24th.

Valverde was similarly anonymous, but more so because he was preserving energy. When the selections were made on the Civiglio, he was present in the small chase group that formed behind Pogačar, Mas and Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious). Had he not had his teammate Mas up the road, maybe he could have attacked for a better result, but sixth-place was still a demonstration that the Spaniard was still able to be competitive right to the very end of his career. 

The new parcours harder than seemed

The removal of the Muro di Sormano from the finale of Il Lombardia led some to predict that this year’s edition would not be as difficult or selective as normal.

The climb was the hardest in the original route, always dropping many less capable riders out of contention, as well as making for a great spectacle with its passionate fans and colourful road graffiti. Its replacement by a second ascent of the much less difficult San Fermo della Battaglia appeared to play into the favour of the punchier riders, and brought into question the race’s status as the ‘climber’s classic’. 

However, this year’s race proved to be just as difficult as ever. The time gaps were as big as ever, with Landa the only rider to finish within 52 seconds of Pogačar and Mas, and the riders arrived at the finish in multiple small groups.

It appeared that the additional climbing added to the first half of this year’s route was enough to see the climbers come to the fore. Nobody was dropped on these early ascents, but the fatiguing effect of them became evident in the carriage that occurred on the Civiglio, where the riders were strewn all across the road.

Puncheurs like Matej Mohoric (Bahrain-Victorious) who might have fancied their chances this year were nowhere to be seen, while the top ten was full of pure climbers, from Sergio Higuita (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) in fourth and fifth to Romain Bardet (DSM) and Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers) in ninth and tenth. 

Even Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), who’s never been known as a rider for the classics, was right in the mix, placing third after he nearly managed to stick with Pogačar and Mas. This Lombardia was as much a climber’s edition as any in the past. 

No redemptive ending of season to forget for Julian Alaphilippe

There was to be no redemptive end to what has been Julian Alaphilippe’s annus horriblis.

It was clear as early as the Madonna del Ghisallo climb that he was not on a good day, as he hovered around the back of the peloton. He was dropped, and eventually finished 51st — exactly the same finishing position as he managed at the World Championships a fortnight ago. 

While he had shown no real form following his race-ending crash at the Vuelta a España in August, it still felt premature to write off a rider of Alaphilippe’s quality. 

The Frenchman therefore ends his crash and illness-marred 2022 with just the two wins, the leanest since 2016. For a rider who typically wins at least one of the world’s biggest races every season, that was some step down.

Alaphilippe wasn’t the only rider to leave Lombardy disappointed. Jonas Vingegaard didn’t have the legs to stay with the attacks on Civiglio despite putting his Jumbo-Visma team to work for much of the race, while Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux) was unable to capitalise on his good form as he crashed out. And Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) couldn’t rediscover the form that made him such a force during the spring, and finished down in 18th. 

Two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) drew the curtain on the men's WorldTour season with a powerful sprint victory in the Giro di Lombardia. 

After over six hours, the race came down to just two riders - the Slovenian and Enric Mas (Movistar) - with the latter unable match his opponent's fierce kick down the finishing straight. 

The duo broke away from the peloton with 19km to go, before being joined by Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) at the front of the race. On the punchy final climb, the 32-year-old was dropped, but held on for third place - his first podium finish in a Monument. 

With his victory, Pogačar added a third Monument to his palmarès and became the first rider to win back-to-back editions of Il Lombardia since Joaquim Rodríguez completed the feat in 2013. 

"It's really amazing to come back and repeat the victory," Pogačar said after the race, before adding that he believes his season has been "almost perfect". 

How it happened

The 116th edition of Il Lombardia offered the race’s longest parcours in eight years, stretching 253km from Bergamo to Como. With almost 5,000m of elevation gain to tackle, the race was billed as one for the peloton’s most astute climbers, particularly those willing to take risks on the descents in the finale. 

A 10-rider breakaway formed shortly after the flag drop, gaining a five-minute gap up the road. The group, however, was kept on a tight leash. Having ticked off the first 100km, their advantage fell to just two and a half minutes.

With 148km to go, news emerged that Mikel Nieve (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) had abandoned the race. The Spaniard, a three-time Giro d’Italia stage winner, suffered a collarbone injury in a nasty crash and was forced to withdraw. Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) hit the tarmac not long after and, with his kit in tatters, chose to step into his team car.

Into the final 100km, a calmness took hold of the race as the riders wheeled towards the metaphoric storm. The breakaway was absorbed by the peloton with 71km remaining and the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo looming large. 

Jumbo-Visma’s Chris Harper led the charge into the climb’s lower slopes, with UAE Team Emirates in tow. Behind, the bunch began to thin out and a host of riders, including the Italian road champion Filippo Zana (Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè), dropped off the back. 

João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) was the first to see the chapel at the Ghisallo’s summit. The Portuguese road champion crested the climb, before guiding his teammates down towards the punchy trio of ascents that would form the race’s finale. Race favourites Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Pogačar remained nestled in the front group.

The Slovenian’s teammates shared tempo-setting duties up the 2.7km-long San Fermo della Battaglia. The narrow road, lined with clamouring spectators, offered little room to attack, and so the race would have to wait a little longer for the first fireworks to go off. 

The perfect launchpad came 20km from the line in the form of the Civiglio - a 4.2km climb pitched at a taxing 9.7%. For Alaphilippe, the slopes proved too much. The two-time world champion fell away from the leading group along with Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan), who couldn’t hold the pace on the final outing of his career. 

Pogačar fired the first shot with 19km to go, rising out of the saddle and kicking through the pedals. On his wheel, an in-form Mas swiftly followed, and the duo exchanged blows as the Civiglio ramped up. 

On the descent, Landa made it three at the front of the race, and with the trio's advantage at 40 seconds, the podium looked all but decided. It would be up to them to determine who would take which step. 

With 6km to go, sensing Pogačar was whirring up his engine, Mas launched an attack, and the two race leaders stormed away, leaving Landa in the dust.

The Movistar rider bided his time on Pogačar's wheel as they passed under the flamme rouge. With 200m to go, Mas catapulted himself into the wind, forcing his rival to open up his sprint. 

The duo rifled towards the line on opposite sides of the road, and while the battle appeared close, it was never in doubt for Pogačar. This year's Tour de France runner-up was able to sit up in his saddle before he reached the line to celebrate his third Monument victory in just two years.

Landa rolled home for third, and as the bunch fought for minor places, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) crossed the finish line for the final time in his professional career. 

Results

Il Lombardia 2022: Bergamo to Como (253km)

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 6-21-22
2. Enric Mas (Esp) Movistar, at same time
3. Mikel Landa (Esp) Bahrain Victorious, at 10s
4. Sergio Higuita (Col) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 52s
5. Carlos Rodríguez (Esp) Ineos Grenadiers, at same time
6. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar
7. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
8. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
9. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM, all at 1-24
10. Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 1-26

The 2021 Il Lombardia marked a historic moment for Tadej Pogačar, as he claimed another Monument title as the reigning Tour de France champion - but what does Strava tell us about the performances? 

Strava, the hugely popular social media platform for athletes, lets both amateurs and pros track their stats and share them with the wider world, offering cycling fans a unique insight into the performances of the biggest riders in the world. 

While Pogačar claimed the title, sadly he doesn’t share his power data on Strava, but we also saw stand-out performances from the likes of Fausto Masnada, Mike Woods, and Remco Evenepoel in the closing kilometres of the 239km climbers’ race. 

It was the penultimate climb of the race, the Passo di Ganda, where Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) made his move, taking the Strava KoM on the way to his victory. 

Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) climbed the 9.4km-long pass in 23-12, with an average speed of 24.4km/h on the seven per cent average gradient. 

Mike Woods (Israel-Start-Up Nation), was the next quickest rider on Strava while back in the chasing group, climbing 30 seconds slower than the Slovenian. 

Woods pushed 365w for the 23-43 he was on the climb, which is an estimated 5.7w/kg. 

He was followed by Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), just two seconds lower but with an enormous 387w for his effort on the climb (estimated 6.3w/kg). 

Masnada, who would eventually bridge across to Pogačar in the final only to be beaten into second place in the sprint, put out 395w to set the fourth fastest time on the climb, which is an estimate 6w/kg. 

The final climb of the race was the 1.3km-long Coll Aperto, which averages seven per cent gradient and topped out 4km from the finish.  

But the speeds were not the fastest in this year’s edition of the race, as Vincenzo Nibali’s KoM from the 2017 edition (which he won), remained as he set a time of 2-40 on the short and punchy climb.

The fastest riders in this year’s race were Tadej Pogačar and Fausto Masnada with a time of 3-03, with Masnada holding an average power of 428w. 

For his second-place finish, Masnada averaged 306w normalised power for six hours, covering 4,400m of elevation gain. 

To compare, Mike Woods pushed 284w normalised, to finish in ninth place, Valverde holding 296w weighted power for a fifth place result.   

Tadej Pogačar joins select group of same season Tour/Lombardia winners

Tadej Pogačar joins Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Fausto Coppi as the only riders to have won the Tour de France and Il Lombardia in the same season, which isn't the worst group to find yourself in, is it?

What's more, of that trio only Eddy Merckx also won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the same year, as Pogačar has in 2021, with Merckx doing it in 1971 and 1972. But, you know, Merckx is Merckx.

After his third in the Olympics road race post-Tour, Pogačar looked to be lacking some form at both the European and World Championships but found his legs on the road from Como to Bergamo, as an ambitious attack with 35km still to go turned into a winning one.

The chase behind, containing world champion Julian Alaphilippe and Primož Roglič, couldn't get organised while the arrival of Fausto Masnada at the front of the race didn't bother Pogačar as the Slovenian brushed him aside with ease to win the two-up sprint for the line.

It increasingly looks to be a case of what Pogačar decides to win next, no 'ifs' even entering the conversation.

Fausto Masnada plays it perfectly but doesn't have the finish to match Pogačar

It was a story almost too good to be true as Masnada sailed down the descent of the Passo di Ganda on his local roads and eventually closed a 45-second gap to the Tour de France champion. Had he pulled off the win, it would have been a performance that would have lived long in the memory.

When the Italian arrived in Pogačar's wheel he refused to take a turn, not helping to eek out the pair's advantage, much to the UAE Team Emirates rider's chagrin.

But it was the perfect tactic. Masnada was hardly going to drop the Slovenian on the final steep kick of the Colle Aperto, and with Julian Alaphilippe in the group behind it was best to just wait and try tire Pogačar out before the sprint, or trust his team leader, the world champion, if the race came back together.

In the end, Masnada's sprint couldn't hold a candle to Pogačar's, and while he may be disappointed with second there seemed to be nothing else he could have done to alter the outcome. While the tactics were perfect, his legs weren't as perfect as Pogačar's.

Adam Yates outsprints Roglič in what must be a world-first

As the chase group entered the final kilometre and Primož Roglič hit the front, it looked inevitable. How many sprints has Roglič won like this in the past?

But then, a blur of red and navy, and a most unexpected one, as Adam Yates came through, his persistent sprint breaking the determination of Roglič as the Brit sailed across the line to take the final third spot on the podium, in a week where he's also managed fourth at the Giro dell-Emilia and second at Milano-Torino.

This is Yates' first-ever Monument podium, coming close with fourth at Liège in 2019, and is a result that reflects his impressive first year at Ineos, where second overall at the UAE Tour and a Volta Ciclista a Catalunya title is a good return for the 29-year-old who will hope to kick on again in 2022.

Remco Evenepoel out of contention early as he puts demons to rest

It will likely have been an emotional day for Remco Evenepoel, returning to the roads where his life flashed before his eye a mere 14 months ago, falling off a bridge on a descent at this race, ending his season and taking a long, painstaking recovery.

The young Belgian says he's now back to his best, and his legs at the recent World Championships seemed to confirm that, yet he fell away with more than 30km to go after Pogačar had set off up the road.

Maybe a tad disappointing for one of the pre-race favourites, who eventually had to settle for 19th, more than three minutes down on the Slovenian. But all-in-all, compared to the position he was in this time last year, perspective will see him pleased with his recovery and return to winning ways. For his rivals, the worry will be what he does at bike races next year and for many years to come.

A final flourish to end the season. Now...how long until the WorldTour returns?

There's an argument to say we are currently being spoiled with the array talent on display. Alaphilippe, Pogačar, Roglič, Van Aert, Evenepoel, and that's choosing only the best of the best.

Il Lombardia was, it's safe to say, a slow burner, but the finale was another thrilling display of out-and-out bike racing from Tadej Pogačar, one of a number of returning cast members who always puts on a show no matter what start line they're on.

At the moment it's hard to know just how we'll look back on this current generation of riders who can tear it up in both Grand Tours and one-day Classics, riding every race like it's their last. What we do know is that the new season can't come soon enough.

Tadej Pogačar won his second Monument with victory at Il Lombardia, going solo with 35km still remaining, Fausto Masnada chasing back up before the Slovenian beat the Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider in a two-up sprint.

Nearly a minute later the chase group containing the likes of Primož Roglič, Alejandro Valverde, Adam Yates and Julian Alaphilippe came to the line, with Yates outsprinting Roglič for the final step on the podium.

The UAE Team Emirates leader joins Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault in a select group of riders who have won the Tour de France and Lombardia in the same season, Pogačar having also picked up his first Monument victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring earlier this year.

How it happened

Andreas Stokbro was the third Qhubeka-NextHash rider to launch off the front soon after the start, following accelerations from Mauro Schmid and Victor Campenaerts, the latter not willing to give up just yet as more attacks went but no break formed over the opening 25km.

On the Madonna del Ghisallo a group finally began to go clear: Jan Bakelants (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert), Chris Hamilton (DSM) and Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Trek-Segafredo) involved in the eight-man move.

Campenaerts' refusal to quit was rewarded when he made it across along with Tim Wellens to make it 10 escaped riders, the gap going out to three minutes after the descent.

Israel Start-Up Nation took up pace-setting duties while Ag2r Citroën’s Jaakko Hanninen had a nasty crash that put him out of the race.

With 150km to go the gap was up above five minutes, the race settled for the moment, before Mikel Landa was dropped along with other riders on the Roncola climb, another Ag2r rider in Benoît Cosnefroy then crashing and looking dazed as he sat by the side of the road.

Wellens then decided to test the mettle of the breakaway, hitting out as the gap went down to around the four-minute mark.

The third climb of the day, the Berbenno, saw the peloton split into two groups, Campenaerts attacking from the breakaway as they neared the summit.

100km to go and another minute lopped off the breakaway’s advantage, Deceuninck - Quick-Step working for both Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel.

Onto the Dossena and there was an uptick in pace in the peloton, Eddie Dunbar hitting out, softening things up for Ineos team-mate Pavel Sivakov who went over the top, Deceuninck - Quick-Step, UAE and Jumbo-Visma trying to mark moves, Fausto Masnada and George Bennett alert, before Neilson Powless also moved across, Marc Hirschi trying to bring things back.

After the Swiss rider stemmed that move Tao Geoghegan Hart hit out, the break’s gap below two minutes as the break started to fracture. Dries Devenyns and Sam Oomen were set to work for Deceuninck - Quick-Step and Jumbo-Visma as the remains of the breakaway continued to toil up the climb.

Neilson Powless then put in a duo of attacks, sweeping up Wellens and Campenaerts, Masnada chasing as Simon Yates dropped off.

Sivakov soon went once more, dragging Hirschi, Masnada, Bardet, and Vingegaard clear.

The likes of Hamilton, Bakelants and Ghebreigzabhier were still out front, barely, Deceuninck - Quick-Step bombing it down the descent of the Zamba Alta to bring the escapees back to within 15 seconds, Alexey Lutsenko and Davide Formolo both crashing.

Soon, with 55km to go, the breakaway was brought back in, EOLO-Kometa’s Lorenzo Rota then hitting out during the subsequent lull in action.

Onto the Passo di Ganda Tiesj Benoot began forcing the issue for Romain Bardet as Aleksandr Vlasov and Rigoberto Úran were dropped. Remco Evenepoel was the next to be distanced, a surprise to see one of the pre-race favourites gone this early, Thibaut Pinot also dispensed with, as Vincenzo Nibali attacked, reeled in by Rafal Majka.

The Italian wasn’t done just yet, though, with Sivakov and Tadej Pogačar following this time, as well as Bardet.

Pogačar then hit out from this newly formed quartet, going solo up the gradient, the rest falling back to the peloton from where Masnada accelerated, going off in pursuit of the Tour de France champion.

Soon, he had half a minute, as Adam Yates drew out Alaphilippe and Roglič with a little dig, bringing Masnada to heel, Roglič now looking shaky as he drifted towards the back of the group.

Masnada, Alaphilippe, Yates, Bardet, Vingegaard, Roglič, Gaudu, Valverde, Woods were the nine left in the group of favourites.

It was the world champion to launch next, set up by Masnada, although Alaphilippe’s move didn’t really stick, Pogačar still half a minute ahead over the summit, the Slovenian taking risks as he gave it everything on the descent.

Masnada then went again, sailing off the front in pursuit of the Tour de France champion, Vingegaard chasing behind as Alaphilippe could just sit on.

With 16km to go Masnada finally made contact, an impressive feat to close that gap solo, and the Italian got onto Pogačar's wheel where he stayed over the remaining kilometres.

Behind, the chase did close to within half a minute, and it looked like it would be Pogačar versus a strong group of the other pre-race favourites, but then they stalled, unable to work together, the gap fanning back out. Yates coming through to take his turn before finding himself with a gap, but he was soon brought back by the others.

Into the final kilometre and all Pogačar could do was check behind him and wait for Masnada's sprint, hoping he had the faster finish after 239km in the saddle. When Masnada finally launched in the last few hundred metres it barely troubled Pogačar, who responded and had time to sit up and celebrate as he crossed the finish line.

Result

Il Lombardia 2021: Como to Bergamo (239km)

1. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, in 6-01-39
2. Fausto Masnada (Ita) Deceuninck - Quick-Step, at same time
3. Adam Yates (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 51 seconds
4. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, at same time
5. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar
6. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Deceuninck - Quick-Step
7. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
8. Romain Bardet (Fra) DSM
9. Michael Woods (Can) Israel Start-Up Nation, all at same time
10. Sergio Higuita (Col) EF Education-Nippo, at 2-25

Il Lombardia on Saturday, October 9, is the final Monument of five in the professional cycling calendar.

After having a year held in August due to the Covid-19 pandemic, 'the race of the falling leaves' has returned to the Autumn season for the 115th edition.

Some of the biggest names of the sport are down to attend the final major race of the cycling season for the climbers and punchers with the sprinters and baroudeurs final main race being the following day at Paris-Tours.

Il Lombardia is eight kilometres longer than last year with the distance of 239km between Como and Bergamo over very tough climbs.

Defending champion and first Dane to win the race, Jokab Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech) will not be racing with Russian rider, Aleksandr Vlasov, who finished third last year, leading the Astana-Premier Tech line.

Up against him are recent Giro di Sicilia winner Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) who will be looking win for a third time, along with 2019 winner Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo).

Deceuninck - Quick-Step haven't held back either with world champion Julian Alaphilippe being joined by young stars Remco Evenepoel and João Almeida.

Slovenian superstars Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) are down to race.

Other big names currently down to race are Mikel Landa, Jack Haig, Mark Padun (all Bahrain Victorious), Benoît Cosnefroy (Ag2r-Citroën), Neilson Powless, Rigoberto Uran, Sergio Higuita (all EF Education-Nippo), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadiers), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Simon Yates (BikeExchange) and many more besides in a brilliant start list.

Here is the complete start list of all riders taking part in the final monument of the 2021 season.

Il Lombardia 2020 start list

Astana-Premier Tech

Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus)
Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz)
Manuele Boaro (Ita)
Samuele Battistella (Ita)
Fabio Felline (Ita)
Matteo Sobrero (Ita)
Rodrigo Contreras (Col)

AG2R-Citroën Team

Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra)
Jaako Hänninen (Fin)
Clément Champoussin (Fra)
Larry Warbasse (USA)
Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra)
Clément Berthet (Fra)
Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra)

Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec

Mattia Bais (Ita)
Nicola Venchiarutti (Ita)
Alexander Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu)
Filippo Tagliani (Ita)
Simone Ravanelli (Ita)
Daniel Muñoz (Col)
Eduardo Sepúlveda (Arg)

Bahrain Victorious

Mikel Landa (Esp)
Stevie Williams (GBr)
Hermann Pernsteiner (Aut)
Domen Novak (Slo)
Santiago Buitrago (Col)
Dylan Teuns (Bel)
Matej Mohorič (Slo) 

Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè

Giovanni Carboni (Ita)
Filippo Fiorelli (Ita)
Luca Covili (Ita)
Davide Gabburo (Ita)
Daniel Savini (Ita)
Andrea Garosio (Ita)
Alessandro Monaco (Ita)

Bora-Hansgrohe

Emanuel Buchmann (Ger)
Felix Großschartner (Aut)
Fabio Fabbro (Ita)
Giovanni Aleotti (Ita)
Ide Schelling (Ned)
Patrick Konrad (Aut)
Cesare Benedetti (Pol)

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 

Rein Taaramäe (Est)
Odd Christian Eiking (Nor)
Jan Bakelants (Bel)
Lorenzo Rota (Ita)
Louis Meintjes (RSA)
Jan Hirt (Cze)
Simone Petilli (Ita)

Alpecin-Fenix

Ben Tulett (GBr)
Kriatian Sbaragli (Ita)
Floris De Tier (Bel)
Louis Vervaeke (Bel)
Xandro Meurisse (Bel)
Jimmy Janssens (Bel)
Petr Vakoč (Cze)

Cofidis, Solutions Crédits

Guillaume Martin (Fra)
Victor Lafay (Fra)
Tom Champion (Fra)
Simon Geschke (Ger)
Natnael Berhane (Eri)
Rubén Fernández (Esp)
Rémy Rochas (Fra)

Deceuninck - Quick-Step

Julian Alaphilippe (Fra)
Remco Evenepoel (Bel)
João Almeida (Por)
Fausto Masnada (Ita)
Andrea Bagioli (Ita)
Pieter Serry (Bel)
Dries Devenyns (Bel)

EF Education-Nippo

Neilson Powless (USA)
Rigoberto Uran (Col)
Sergio Higuita (Col)
Daniel Arroyave (Col)
James Whelan (Aus)
Diego Camargo (Col)
Will Barta (USA)

EOLO-Kometa

Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita)
Erik Fetter (Hun)
Vincenzo Albanese (Ita)
Mark Christian (GBr)
Davide Bais (Ita)
Edward Ravasi (Ita)
Francesco Gavazzi (Ita)

Groupama-FDJ

Thibaut Pinot (Fra)
Attila Valter (Hun)
David Gaudu (Fra)
Anthony Roux (Fra)
Matteo Badilatti (Sui)
Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra)
Sébastien Reichenbach (Sui)

Israel Start-Up Nation

Michael Woods (Can)
Dan Martin (Irl)
Chris Froome (GBr)
Ben Hermans (Bel)
James Piccoli (Can)
Reto Hollenstein (Sui)
Omer Goldstein (Isr)

Lotto-Soudal

Tim Wellens (Bel)
Matt Holmes (GBr)
Andreas Kron (Den)
Harm Vanhoucke (Bel)
Maxim Van Gils (Bel)
Steff Cras (Bel)
Tomasz Marczyński (Pol)

Team BikeExchange

Simon Yates (GBr)
Damien Howson (Aus)
Chris Juul-Jensen (Den)
Nick Schultz (Aus)
Kevin Colleoni (Ita)
Andrey Zeits (Kaz)
Mikel Nieve (Esp)

Movistar Team

Alejandro Valverde (Esp)
Antonio Pedrero (Esp)
Nelson Oliveira (Por)
Davide Villella (Ita)
Dario Cataldo (Ita)
José Joaquín Rojas (Esp)
Marc Soler (Esp)

Vini Zabù

Dan Pearson (GBr)
Jakub Mareczko (Ita)
Edoardo Zardini (Ita)
Simone Bevilacqua (Ita)
Marco Frapporti (Ita)
Davide Orrico (Ita)
Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita)

Team Qhubeka-NextHash

Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita)
Victor Campenaerts (Bel)
Karel Vacek (Cze)
Mauro Schmid (Sui)
Dylan Sunderland (Aus)
Sean Bennett (USA)
Andreas Stokbro (Den)

Ineos Grenadiers 

Adam Yates (GBr)
Tao Geoghegan-Hart (GBr)
Eddie Dunbar (Irl)
Jonathan Castroviejo (Esp)
Pavel Sivakov (Rus)
Gianni Moscon (Ita)
Ben Swift (GBr)

Team Jumbo-Visma

Primož Roglič (Slo)
Jonas Vingegaard (Den)
Steven Kruijswijk (Ned)
George Bennett (NZl)
Sam Oomen (Ned)
Koen Bouwman (Ned)
Chris Harper (Aus)

Team DSM

Romain Bardet (Fra)
Andreas Leknessund (Nor)
Michael Storer (Aus)
Chris Hamilton (Aus)
Thymen Arensman (Ned)
Tiesj Benoot (Bel)
Mark Donovan (GBr)

Trek-Segafredo

Vincenzo Nibali (Ita)
Bauke Mollema (Ned)
Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri)
Gianluca Brambilla (Ita)
Niklas Eg (Den)
Toms Skujiņš (Lat)
Antonio Tiberi (Ita)

UAE Team Emirates

Tadej Pogačar (Slo)
Marc Hirschi (Sui)
Jan Polanc (Slo)
Davide Formolo (Ita)
Brandon McNulty (USA)
Diego Ulissi (Ita)
Rafał Majka (Pol)

Team Arkéa-Samsic 

Nairo Quintana (Col)
Winner Anacona (Col)
Dayer Quintana (Col)
Romain Hardy (Fra)
Łukasz Owsian (Pol)
Maxime Bouet (Fra)
Élie Gesbert (Fra)

Evenepoel returns to the scene of his crash

Nearly fourteen months since suffering the harrowing fall into a ravine on the descent of the Muro di Sormano that could have ended his career, Remco Evenepoel returns to Il Lombardia as a top favourite for victory once more.

Evenepoel was also a major favourite for the win prior to last year’s race, having shown sensational form in the weeks prior, and it’s been a long, arduous journey for him to go from  his long period out of racing and rehabilitating following that crash, back to being a top contender. 

Thankfully, his form in the last few weeks appears to confirm that his prodigious talent remains undiminished. He won the Coppa Bernocchi one-day race with a trademark solo attack in the rain on Monday, continuing a run of consecutive top-five finishes in all the races he’s competed in since the European Championships last month (the only exception being at the Worlds road race in Flanders, where he instead sacrificed his undeniably strong legs in service of Belgian team-mate Wout van Aert).

Given what happened last edition, riding here could be as much a mental challenge as a physical one, although he won’t return to the descent on which he fell, as this year’s route is significantly different from last year. 

Despite the change, this is still a challenging parcours worthy of Il Lombardia, featuring 4,500 meters of elevation gain, and one that will pose all the challenges of endurance and climbing that the race is famous for. Last year’s edition was Evenepoel’s first Monument, and was supposed to be the moment he showed what he could do at the highest level; instead, having not ridden a Monument since then, this year’s edition could instead be his watershed moment. 

Alaphilippe looking to show off rainbow stripes in style

Despite the races' close proximity in the calendar, and tendency to suit a similar kind of rider, there have not been many riders to successfully pull-off a World Championships and Il Lombardia double in recent years. You have to go all the way back to 2006 for the last time a rider in the rainbow stripes was triumphant here, 

Now, another Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider, Julian Alaphilippe, will attempt to do the same. Although he’s only ridden Il Lombardia three times in his career, it’s a race that should suit him well, and he wasn’t second behind Vincenzo Nibali on his last appearance in 2017. The big question is whether he can carry the sensational form that saw him defend his World title a week and a half ago, or if the huge efforts made in making all those attacks will take its toll? His under-par showing at Milano-Torino on Wednesday suggests the latter might be the case. 

The last climb of Bergamo Alta, crested just 3km from the finish and featuring steep gradients, certainly looks tailored made for another of his punchy accelerations, but the race is already likely to have been ignited and in bits long before then, what with the longer, more difficult climbs that precede it. The 9km Passo di Ganda, crested 32km from the finish, looks an ideal place for selections to form, but things could kick off as early as 90km from the finish, when they begin ascending the Dossena climb.

Alaphilippe will form part of a fearsome duo with Remco Evenepoel, alongside other quality teammates like João Almeida (who looked great at Milano-Torino, finishing third), Mauri Vansevenant and Andrea Bagioli, and their strategy looks set to be a hyper-aggressive one. “Together with my team-mate Alaphilippe, I hope to provide a spectacle,” Evenepoel has said, and given how early into the Worlds Alaphilppe was attacking, and how far out Evenepoel made his race-winning move at Coppa Bernocchi, you’d expect that “spectacle” to involve some bold moves. 

Evenepoel has a much more harmonious relationship with Alaphilippe and his other trade team-mates than he does with the national Belgian team (who are still bickering about what happened in Flanders almost two weeks on), and together they could make this a race to remember. 

Pogačar hungry for more success

It’s testament to Tadej Pogačar’s hunger for success that he’s still riding this deep into the season, having won the yellow jersey almost three months ago. 

Often, the rider who wins the Tour de France takes the rest of the season off, feeling the understandable need for physical and mental rest. Not Pogačar. Since defending his title, he’s taken bronze at the Olympics, competed in the European and World Championships, and is this week taking part in the Italian semi-classics that lead up to Il Lombardia. 

Having already won Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the sprint, victory on Saturday would see Pogačar become the first rider to win the Tour de France at two Monuments in the same season since Eddy Merckx in 1975. Once you start challenging Eddy Merckx’s statistics, you know you’re on the brink of something special.

He appears to be finding the form to do so, too. He fired a warning shot to all of his rivals with a fearsome ride at Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday, shocking everyone with an attack over 100km from the finish, and still managing to sprint for third-place despite later suffering a puncture. 

He’ll also form part of a talent-filled UAE Team Emirates line-up, which has multiple cards to play — Marc Hirschi is another attacking option, Diego Ulissi could keep his quick sprint finish in reserve, and Davide Formolo could attack in tandem with Pogačar, as he did to finish second at Tre Valli Varesine. 

Surrounded by such talent, Pogačar won't be weighed down by the pressure of being the team’s sole leader, and will have a licence to pick his moments to attack— which will surely strike fear into everyone else riding. 

A classic for the climbers

As well as the Autumnal slot on the calendar (re-installed after last year’s rearrangements to August) that gives it the nickname ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’, the other thing that makes Il Lombardia distinct from most other Classics is its suitability for climbers. 

The difficulty of its parcours is reflected in its list of former winners, who tend to be better known for their climbing skills and Grand Tour pedigree than as Classics riders; recent examples being Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Victorious), Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange) and Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation).

None of the aforementioned appear to have the form to win again, meaning a new Il Lombardia champion is likely to be crowned. Right now, the man most likely is Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who has been on scintillating form this week, first winning the Giro dell’Emilia on Saturday, then Milano-Torino on Wednesday. We all know how difficult the Slovenian is to stop when in form like this, and with a super-strong Jumbo-Visma team featuring the likes of Jonas Vingegaard, George Bennett and Steven Kruijswijk to back him up, he looks well set to add a second monument to his Liège-Bastogne-Liège victory from last year.

As one of the world’s best climbers, Roglič will have no problem with the quantity of uphill kilometres in Lombardy, but this will pose a stern test for Classics stars like Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and the on-form Benoît Cosnefroy (Ag2r-Citroên), who prefer shorter, sharper efforts than the longs climbs of this race.

Instead, this is a race that suits Britain’s Adam Yates and Canada’s Michael Woods, both of whom have found excellent form with top-five finishes at Giro dell’Emilia and Milano-Torino, while Grand Tour stars who aren’t seen much in classics like Alexander Vlasov (Astana-PremierTech), Mikel Landa, Jack Haig (both Bahrain-Victorious), Nairo Quintana (Arka-Samsic), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-Nippo) and Simon Yates (BikeExchange) could also be in the mix. 

Dan Martin bows out at the scene of one of his great triumphs

Seven years ago at Il Lombardia, Dan Martin took a group of some of this era’s best Classics riders by surprise, launching an attack on the finishing straight while the others prepared to sprint. Their hesitancy was his gain, as the Irishman soloed the final meters to the line to take the victory. 

His win the year before at Liège-Bastogne-Liège might be more famous, if only for the memorable image of a fan dressed as a panda running behind him on the finishing climb, but this was every bit as impressive and prestigious, and made him one of only eleven riders in the last decade to have won more than one Monument.  

Add to that his exploits in Grand Tours (all of which he has both won stages at and finished in the top overall) and stage races (including overall victories at the Tours of Catalunya and Poland), it’s fair to say that his has been one of the best careers of this generation — a career that will come to an end on Saturday, following Martin’s announcement that he’s retiring from the sport.

Other riders as crash prone as Martin might be remembered more for that than their achievements, but it’s testament to Martin’s success and longevity that the enduring image of him will be of his hunched, gangly frame launching one of his countless attacks on an uphill. 

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Does he have one more big win in him? His form certainly looked good at Giro dell’Emilia, where he finished sixth, and his failure to post a good result at Milano-Torino was down to a late mechanical and being caught out in the crosswinds rather than bad legs. Some of Martin’s best moments have come when riding as an underdog, so a fairy-tale end to his stellar career isn’t out of the question. 

Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel have spoken about their chances at the upcoming final Monument of the 2021 season, Il Lombardia.

While the third of the Italian Autumn Classics, Tre Valli Varesine, was underway, Deceuninck - Quick-Step held a press conference with their three main leaders for Il Lombardia, which takes place on Saturday, October 9.

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Evenepoel was asked about how he feels after his win at the Coppa Bernocchi on Monday, October 4 and if the awful weather will affect him at Il Lombardia. 

"At the moment, physically I feel really tired because of the weather conditions, they were quite bad so it took a lot of energy out of the body," he said. 

"It's important to try to recover as much as possible in the upcoming days, but it's always nice when you find some good legs just ahead of a big goal or big race and I think also for the team with the other guys we saw that everybody's in a good shape and doing well so I think we're all quite confident and looking forward for Saturday."

Upon being asked whether he had returned to the Muro di Sormano since his serious crash in the 2020 Lombardia, "no" he replied, flatly. Evenepoel added that it will take some time before he can return there.

Evenepoel suffered a serious crash on the descent of the climb in last year's edition as he was at the back of a group following Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), with Evenepoel falling off a bridge into a ravine, fracturing his pelvis and other bones.

Alaphilippe, who is racing for the first time since retaining his world title in Leuven, Belgium, comes into the race as the likely top favourite.

However, the when asked about what he did after the World Championships, he said: "After the Worlds I was really tired and when I restarted training I felt a little bit sick, so since then I have enjoyed time with family and took it easy so I was fresh for my last two races."

Alaphilippe was unstoppable at the Worlds as he put in wave after wave of attacks along with his French team-mates, from 40km out until finally one move stuck and he soloed to the line.

When asked if he felt he could win, Alaphilippe said: "I hope so, for sure. I am in good shape but the rest of the bunch here is also really strong. Lots of guys are still really motivated and are also in great shape but yeah, I am confident that we have a really strong team, we are here to do our best and we'll see what we can do."

Evenepoel was asked what his experience of watching Paris-Roubaix was and if he was inspired to race it in the future, he said: "No! It does not inspire me at all. I think I was lucky to be inside with a good hot chocolate and watching all the others suffer.

"But of course, to see a race like this, you just have to respect all the riders who did it, even the riders that didn't finish. It really was hell. So, I don't think I want to go there."

He then looked at Alaphilippe,  Evenepoel then adding, "but never say never!".

Il Lombardia takes place on Saturday, October 9 over a tough hilly 239km course from Como to Bergamo, not taking in the usual climbs of Colma di Sormano, Muro di Sormano or Civiglio like in the past few editions, but a series of different climbs.

Alaphilippe, Evenepoel and Almeida will face stiff competition with former winners Nibali, Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Esteban Chaves (BikeExchange), Dan Martin (Israel Start-Up Nation) being joined by Grand Tour stars Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma).

The five oldest, longest and most prestigious one-day races in men's professional cycling are grouped together under the heading 'Monuments'.

Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Il Lombardia all boast a rich heritage dating back over 100 years and are the races that every rider wants to have in their palmares.

Only the Grand Tours - the Giro d'Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a España - and the UCI world championships command as much kudos. The women's calendar now hosts four of these races, with only the organisers of Il Lombardia not promoting a women's race.

Each of the five races has its own special character that marks it out among the long list of races in the UCI calendar. Such are their significance, that riders will tend to target them specifically, making one or more their main aim for the season. In recent years it was believed that the growing specialism in the pro peloton meant the cobbled classics like Paris Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders no longer suited a rider who could win the hillier races Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Il Lombardia.

Tadej Pogačar has blown this thinking out of the water however and he only needs to win Paris Roubaix to become the fourth rider to have won all five. The last rider to complete the set was Roger de Vlaeminck, the greatest classics rider of his generation. the Belgian won the Tour of Flanders in 1977 to complete the set. Before him Eddy Merckx and Rik van Looy had also won all five.

If Pogačar does with Paris-Roubaix in 2026 - having already won Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Flanders this spring, he will become the first rider to be the reigning champion in all five Monuments.

All five are part of the UCI's top-tier WorldTour race calendar, and as such they command a full field of the biggest teams and leading riders.

*Has won all five monuments

Milan-San Remo

Country: Italy
Time of year: Late March
Length: 299km
First edition: 1907
Also known as: La Primavera, The Sprinters' Classic
Rider with most wins: Eddy Merckx (seven wins)
Typically suits: Sprinters and classics riders
Famous for: The final climb of the Poggio and the route along the coast of northern Italy
Women's equivalent since: 1999 (then paused between 2006-2025)

As the first Monument of every season, Milan-San Remo always generates a huge amount of interest and excitement. The route is long, and does not feature the relentless hills and/or cobbled sections of other Monuments. This has often led to the race being contested by a reduced bunch sprint and has been won by pure sprinters like Jasper Philipsen and Mark Cavendish in the past.

There are however five climbs in the race, all that play their part. The first is the Passo del Turchino, the highest point of the race at over 500 metres. It's slopes are gentle however, and all it does is to serve as a marker for the halfway point. After this, the riders start to strip off and take more care over their position in the field.

Then come the Tre Capi; Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta. Three tiny climbs that come in quick succession and mark the beginning of the final stages of the race. At 276km the bunch hits the Cipressa the twin climbs of the Cipressa where sprinters have to hang on then next comes the Poggio.

This tight, twisty climb isn't hard or long enough to favour pure climbers - more powerful riders can sustain their effort on it's slopes - but always causes splits. The question is then whether or not the leaders can hold onto their advantage down the descent and along the flat final two kilometres to the Via Roma and the finish. The descent can prove decisive, as it did for Matej Mohoric's win in 2022, and always provides a thrilling finale.

Last three winners
2026: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2025: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
2024: Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck

Tour of Flanders

Country: Belgium
Date: First Sunday in April
Approx length: 263.7km
First edition: 1913
Also known as: De Ronde, Ronde van Vlaanderen
Rider with most wins: Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogačar, Tom Boonen, Fabian Cancellara, Johan Museeuw, Achiel Buysse, Fiorenzo Magni, Eric Leman (all three wins)
Typically suits: Classics riders
Famous for: Cobbled climbs, Belgian fans, beers and frites
Women's equivalent since: 2004

The Tour of Flanders is the youngest of the five Monuments and one of two in Belgium. Taking place entirely in the northern (Flemish) part of the country it is known for the cobbled and tarmac Bergs that litter the second half of the route.

Many of these climbs are on small, narrow roads with tight turns into them, making positioning in the bunch one of the most important factors of the race. The riders at the front of the peloton can sweep round a tight corner and maintain their momentum onto a climb while riders caught further back may be forced into a standstill as the 170 rider peloton struggles to fit through a four metre wide corner.

The route was altered significantly in 2012 when the organisers removed the formerly iconic last two climbs of the Kapelmuur and Bosberg to concentrate the race on a finishing circuit around Oudenaarde. The circuit features the Oude Kwaremont and the Paterberg which come in quick succession before the finish in Oudenaarde.

Last three winners
2026: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2025: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2024: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck

Paris-Roubaix

Country: France
Date: Second Sunday in April
Approx length: 255km
First edition: 1896
Also known as: Hell of the North, Queen of the Classics, La Pascale
Rider with most wins: Roger De Vlaeminck, Tom Boonen (four wins)
Typically suits: Classics riders
Famous for: Cobbled climbs, Belgian fans, beers and frites
Women's equivalent since: 2021

Paris-Roubaix is arguably the biggest bike race outside the Tour de France, and has an evergreen appeal due to it's parcours. The Queen of the Classics takes the peloton over multiple sectors of cobbles (pavé in French) many of which would be unridable to most cyclists.

There are 30 sections in total (they count down from 30) starting with Troisvilles A Inchy with 162.5km still to go. Each section varies in distance and is graded on a five star system for their severity. The hardest of which is unquestionably the 2.3km Trouée d'Arenberg (The Arenberg Trench), section number 19 that comes after 163km of racing.

The two other five star sections are Mons-en-Pévèle - sector 11 at 48.6km to go, and Carrefour de l'Arbre - Sector 4 at 17.1km to go.

No matter the weather, there's always a challenge: rain makes the cobbles slippery and muddy; dry weather means the air is full of dust. The race finishes in Roubaix on the famous outdoor velodrome, where a front group of riders is often forced to sprint for the victory as they loop the track. There's simply no race like it.

Last three winners
2026: Wout van Aert (Bel) Visma-Lease a Bike
2025: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck
2024: Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck

Liège-Bastogne-Liège

Country: Belgium
Date: Late Sunday in April
Approx Length: 259.5km
First edition: 1892
Also known as: La Doyenne
Rider with most wins: Eddy Merckx (five wins)
Typically suits: Grand Tour riders and climbers
Famous for: Multiple long climbs
Women's equivalent since: 2017

The climb-filled Liège-Bastogne-Liège takes on the leg-sapping ascents of the Ardennes in Southern Belgium. It's a race that is often contested by climbers and Grand Tour riders as much as Classics riders. It's also the oldest of the Monuments, having been first run in 1892.

The majority of the race's climbs are packed into the final 100km, providing a relentless barrage of climbing that barely allows any respite for tired riders. Despite its position as the final spring Classic, it can still be affected by bad weather to add to the riders' misery.

Last three winners
2026: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates XRG
2025: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2024: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates

Il Lombardia

Country: Italy
Date: Second Saturday in October 09
Length: 247km
First edition: 1892
Also known as: Giro di Lombardia, Tour of Lombardy, Race of the Falling Leaves
Rider with most wins: Fausto Coppi, Tadej Pogačar (five wins)
Typically suits: Climbers
Known for: Steep climbs and a first showing of the world champs bands
Women's equivalent since: No women's equivalent

The only Monument to take place in the autumn rather than spring, Il Lombardia or the Tour of Lombardy is very different than its northern European cousins. The picturesque route takes riders around Lake Como in a testing war of attrition.

Like Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Il Lombardia has a reputation for being a climber's Classic, taking in longer ascents than the power climbs of the Tour of Flanders. It's often the final outing for Grand Tour riders seeking to take one final victory before the season ends.

Last three winners
2025: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2024: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates
2023: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates

The cycling anti-doping agency has closed its investigation into the object removed from Remco Evenepoel’s pocket after his Il Lombardia crash. 

Earlier this year the UCI ordered the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) to probe the incident, after video emerged showing a Deceuninck - Quick-Step sports director removing an item from Evenepoel’s pocket after a fall. 

After the incident, the sports director Davide Bramati and the team said the object was a small bottle of nutritional products. 

On Monday (October 19), the CADF announced it had concluded its investigation and had found no anti-doping violation had been committed. 

A statement from the organisation, which independently implements the UCI’s anti-doping policies, said: “The Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) has completed the investigation it initiated in the aftermath of Remco Evenepoel’s crash at Il Lombardia on August 15, 2020 and the viewing of a video that showed a  Deceuninck - Quick-Step sports director removing an item from the rider’s pocket before placing it in his own pocket.

“After having heard from all concerned persons, including the rider and the team representatives, the CADF concluded that no anti-doping violation was committed and considers the matter closed, unless new elements are subsequently brought to its attention.

“The CADF would like to thank Mr Evenepoel, Mr Bramati and the Deceuninck - Quick-Step for their collaboration throughout the investigation.” 

Evenepoel suffered an awful crash in his Monument debut at Il Lombardia, hitting a low wall on a bridge and tumbling into the ravine below, suffering a broken pelvis that took him out of racing for the rest of the season.

Video later emerged showing Bramati removing an object from Evenepoel’s jersey pocket, which prompted the CADF investigation.  

Bramati said he removed all of the items in the rider’s pockets as Evenepoel would need to be put on a stretcher shortly after.

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 The CADF did not specify exactly what was removed from Evenepoel’s pocket, but the investigators are satisfied that no offences were committed. 

Remco Evenepoel will be off the bike for six weeks to two months, making it unlikely he'll race the Giro d'Italia.  

The 20-year-old star suffered an awful crash during the 2020 Il Lombardia, after he hit a low wall on a bridge and fell into a ravine. 

Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider Evenepoel suffered multiple injuries, including a pelvis fracture and a contusion to his right lung and was kept in hospital overnight for observation. 

Yvan Vanmol, team doctor at the Belgian WorldTour squad, told VTM Nieuws: “We talk about six weeks.

“At best, let's assume he will be able to cycle again in two months. Then I suppose he is ready to experience our first training camp in December, in the same condition as most of the other riders at the time. ” 

The extent of his injuries mean Evenepoel is unlikely to ride the Giro d’Italia, which starts on October 3, meaning he will have to delay his Grand Tour debut. 

Evenepoel’s crash came in the final 50km of racing during Il Lombardia on Saturday, when the Belgian hit the side of a bridge and fell into the ravine below.

He had been tipped as the favourite to win the race and was riding in the front group at the Italian Monument when the fall happened.

Vanmol said Evenepoel will undergo further checks when he returns home to Belgium, but that the rider isn’t expected to undergo surgery. 

The crash has derailed a phenomenal season for Evenepoel, who has won all four stage races he has entered this season. 

He had been preparing for the Giro d’Italia and was considered the race favourite, despite never having raced for three weeks before.   

>>> Five things we learned from the 2020 Critérium du Dauphiné 

On Evenepoel's recovery, VanmolVanmol added: "He will be the same again. He's going to be better than the old version."

The UCI is investigating how a member of the public was able to drive onto the Il Lombardia course and hit Max Scachmann, leaving the German with a fractured collarbone.

"It is inadmissible to witness certain accidents in a WorldTour race," the CPA said afterwards. "We also want to know how the facts took place. Racing must be safer for athletes. We will never stop repeating it."

In the closing kilometres of the Italian Monument, as Schachmann was heading to a top 10 finish, a car drove onto the course around a bend, trying to head down a side road at the same time Schachmann was passing through. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider crashed into the back of the vehicle as the shocked driver got out and started apologising.

Furious, Schachmann continued to the finish, crossing the line in seventh place while gingerly holding his arm, having suffered a fractured collarbone.

"The UCI is investigating the circumstances of the crash caused by a private car in the final kilometres of the UCI WorldTour race Il Lombardia (Italy) on Saturday," cycling's governing body said in a statement.

"Events on the UCI WorldTour calendar are of the highest level and require fully closed roads at all times. The UCI will consider lodging a complaint with the Disciplinary Commission against the event organiser RCS Sport."

>>> Watch: Max Schachmann hit by car that got on to Il Lombardia course

It was a day where crashes dominated racing, as Remco Evenepoel fell over a bridge and into a ravine, suffering a fractured pelvis and contusions to his right lung, but is considered lucky to have not come away with worse.

Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) and Emanuel Buchmann also fell on a descent at the Critérium du Dauphiné that Tom Dumoulin branded "a disgrace".

Meanwhile, Dauphiné race leader Primož Roglič also fell later in the stage and nearly abandoned, the Slovenian now questionable to start the final stage five.

Jakob Fuglsang continues to get better with age

There was a time not too long ago when Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) was considered one of cycling’s nearly-men, a rider with considerable talent but one who lacked the something extra required to win the biggest races.

Not anymore. Since turning 34 last year he’s enjoyed the best time of his career, first sealing a dominant display in the 2019 Ardennes Classics week with a career-best victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, then proving his worth as a stage racer by sealing the overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné, and now adding a second monument to his palmarès with Il Lombardia.

Fuglsang had looked strong since the return to racing this month, and was tipped as one of the few riders capable of challenging the overwhelming favourite Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), and indeed it was he who stepped up and emerged as the strongest after the Belgian crashed out of the race in such concerning fashion.

The result means Fuglsang becomes one of the select few riders to have completed the Liege-Bastogne-Liege/Il Lombardia double. Despite the similarities of both races, there have been surprisingly few recent winners of both — Dan Martin was the most recent, and Philipe Gilbert the only other active rider. Before them, you have to go back to the era of the 2000s when Italians Paolo Bettini and Michele Bartoli were victorious in both.

Not content with just being one of the best Classics rider around, the 35-year-old will now set his sights on pastures new. He won't be defending his Liege-Bastogne-Liege title this autumn, but will instead train towards targeting overall victory at the Giro d’Italia. Given how much he’s improved in recent years, who’s to say he can’t now become a Grand Tour winner too?

Remco Evenepoel crash overshadows the race

This year’s Il Lombardia was left with a dark shadow hanging over it after Remco Evenepoel suffered a horrible crash on the descent of the Muro di Sormano.

The 20-year old, who had been tipped as the favourite ahead of the race, was transported to hospital after falling horribly over the roadside and into a ravine, in a conscious state but evidently seriously injured.

Huge things were expected of Evenepoel after the form he’s shown all season, and he appeared to be set up for something special after his Deceuninck - Quick-Step team had split the race to pieces on the Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano.

What happened next was a reminder of just how dangerous this sport is, and how even the most talented of riders can go from being on top of the world to serious peril within the blink of an eye. The world of cycling is concerned and sends its best wishes as we await further news.

In another shocking incident, German champion Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) was struck by a vehicle that somehow made its way onto the course. Thankfully, he was able to get back on his bike and hold on to the seventh-place finish he had been soloing towards, but was visibly angry as he made his way to the finish line, and may still have sustained injuries — a worrying sign, ahead of the Tour de France in a few week’s time.

Deceuninck - Quick-Step make for a very hard race

Despite Evenepoel’s premature exit, he and his Deceuninck - Quick-Step team nevertheless managed to shape how the whole race was ridden.

They took it upon themselves to make this a very difficult Il Lombardia, setting a blistering pace early on. The day’s breakaway was swallowed up as early as the Madonna del Ghisallo, with over 70km still to ride, and the peloton was much smaller at this early point in the race than it usually is.

With 37-year-old Dries Devenyns producing a monster turn, it had grown even smaller by the start of Colma di Sormano, with only around 25 riders still surviving, and subsequently blew to pieces on the climb. At the top, Evenepoel, Fuglsang and his Astana teammate Alexandr Vlasov, and the Trek-Segafredo trio of Vincenzo Nibali, Bauke Mollema and Giulio Ciccone was all that was left of the front group.

The intention from Deceuninck - Quick-Step had clearly been to make this as selective a race as possible in the knowledge that Evenepoel was very likely the strongest rider. Though the Belgian was denied the chance to put in that long-awaited attack, their work still had the effect of making the race an attritional survival of the fittest, in which even the supposed tactical advantage held by certain teams by having a numerical advantage over others ultimately meant little.

Trek-Segafredo squander an enviable position

At the foot of the Civiglio, the climb that usually decides the winner of Il Lombardia, Trek-Segafredo had three riders in the leading six-man group. By the top, however, all three had been dropped and went on to finish in the exasperating positions of fourth, fifth and sixth.

Placing so many riders in the top six yet having none on the podium, let alone the top step, is usually a sign of poor tactical decision making, and Trek-Segafredo may wish they had approached the finish differently. Aside from some pressure put on by Nibali on the descent, the trio were mostly content to set a tempo in the build-up to the Civiglio. Perhaps a better strategy would have been for them to have attacked alternatively and forced the others to chase.

Would this have made any difference? On one hand, as discussed above, the race was so attritional that each of Nibali, Mollema and Ciccone may simply have lacked the strength to attack, given that the trio were weaker than all three of their other breakaway companions. Then again, the winner of a Classic is not always necessarily the strongest rider — just take last year’s Lombardia, when Mollema himself won with a speculative attack that was allowed to succeed as the favourites looked at each other.

We’ll never know whether or not a repeat move from Trek-Segafredo would have had the same result this year.

George Bennett and Alexandr Vlasov announce themselves as Classics contenders

George Bennett (Jumbo-Visma) has never been known as a Classics rider, the high mountains and Grand Tours instead being his usual domain. But following on from victory at Gran Piemonte (only the second win of his career following the 2017 Tour of California, and the first that wasn’t an overall victory), he’s now a podium finisher at Monument level after another very impressive display at Il Lombardia.

If he rides anything like this at the Tour de France, Jumbo-Visma will have yet another superb mountain domestique to rely on, and the New Zealander could also be one to watch at the Ardennes Classics this autumn if he can hold his form.

Rounding off the podium was Alexandr Vlasov (Astana), another name we would not have had down as a favourite for Lombardia until recently. The Russian has been one of the breakthrough names of the year, finishing second overall at Tour de La Provence and winning the Mont Ventoux Challenge, but this is the most impressive achievement of the lot.

Aged just 24, he looks an enormous talent and proved today that he can handle the extra distance of a monument.

Max Schachmann was hit by a car that got onto the course as he closed in on the finish of Il Lombardia.

Astana's Jakob Fuglsang had already crossed the finish line to take the Monument win when Schachmann was closing in on a top 10 finish.

As he descended around a bend a member of the public drove onto the course, crossing it to try and get to a side road and right into Schachmann's path, who fell over his handlebars and hit the deck.

The driver then got out, apologising as Schachmann picked himself up and continued on his way to a seventh-placed finish.

As a TV moto tracked his progress over the final kilometres, the Bora-Hansgrohe rider aired his frustrations while also holding his injured shoulder.

>>> Remco Evenepoel is conscious as he is transported to hospital following Il Lombardia crash

Earlier in the race, Remco Evenepoel crashed over the side of a bridge and into a ravine, regaining consciousness but transported to hospital in a neck brace. Deceuninck - Quick-Step say his condition is currently being assessed by a medical team at Como hospital.

Crashes also marred stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné, with Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo-Visma) forced to abandon the race after a crash on a descent. Race leader Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) was also brought down but finished in the GC group, with his medical team attending to him after the race.

Jakob Fuglsang takes his second Monument victory of his career, winning his first Il Lombardia title after beating Jumbo-Visma's George Bennett.

It ended up looking like a story between two teams as three Trek-Segafredo riders and two Astana men, along with Bennett, went clear on the descent of the Colma di Sormano after a nasty crash for Remco Evenepoel (Deceunick - Quick-Step), who was conscious as he was transported to hospital.

Trek's trio of Vincenzo Nibali, Giulio Ciccone and defending champion Bauke Mollema were all dropped on the Civiglio climb as Bennett stayed with Fuglsang and Aleksandr Vlasov (Astana).

How it happened

The riders started the 114th Il Lombardia in Bergamo with a very challenging route of 231km to Como where the second Monument of the year finished.

An 11-man break went up the road early on, including Petre Vakoč (Alpecin-Fenix), James Piccoli (Israel Start-Up Nation) and Joey Rosskopf (CCC Team).

It was Piccoli who went solo, with around 70km to go, but behind the peloton was flying up the climbs, bringing the time gap down rapidly, with Astana and Deceuninck - Quick-Step doing the work.

>>> Lennard Kämna takes his first career win as Primož Roglič stays in yellow after stage four of Critérium du Dauphiné 2020

Piccoli was caught just a couple of kilometres later as Evenepoel asked for more pace before they hit the steep slopes of the Colma di Sormano.

On the Sormano, Vlasov and Fuglsang shared duties with Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Richard Carapaz (Ineos) and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) all dropped out of the back.

As the lead group went over the top Nibali went to the front and tried to create a gap on a very tricky, tight and twisty descent.

All the riders were keeping up well with Evenepoel at the back. It was only on one bend, where the road tightened on the exit of a corner to go across a bridge, that the 20-year-old Belgian went into the wall and over the other side.

As the lead group got to the bottom there were only six riders left: Bennett, Vlasov, Fuglsang, Nibali, Ciccone and Mollema.

They all worked well together as riders such as Van der Poel were chasing behind. But as they hit the penultimate climb of Civiglio Fuglsang attacked with Bennett on the wheel. Soon after, Vlasov attacked across to Bennett and his team-mate, Fuglsang.

All three Trek riders were in trouble, Nibali especially, as he had put in a big effort to work for his team.

>>> Steven Kruijswijk and Emanuel Buchmann crash out of Critérium du Dauphiné

The three leaders then started to work together over the top and on the way to the last climb of San Fermo della Battaglia.

Bennett attacked at the base of the climb, immediately distancing the Russian champion, Vlasov.

Bennett tried another three times to drop Fuglsang before the two-time Critérium du Dauphiné winner hit the New Zealander hard with a vicious attack.

The winner of Gran Piemonte, just three days previous, Bennett was not able to get back on terms with the great Dane who took the win by over 30 seconds.

Results

Il Lombardia 2020 - Bergamo to Como (231km)

1. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana, in 5-32-54

2. George Bennett (NZl) Jumbo-Visma, at 31s

3. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Astana, at 51s

4. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, at 1-19

5. Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Trek-Segafredo, at 1-40

6. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo, at 3-31

7. Max Schachmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 4-31

8. Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates, at 5-20

9. Ben Hermans (Bel) Israel Start-Up Nation, at 6-00

10. Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Fenix, at 6-28

If the 2020 season wasn’t strange enough, we’re now about to witness an edition of Il Lombardia in the height of summer - find out how to watch the second Monument of the year. 

The Italian Classic, which takes place on Saturday, August 15, is traditionally held in October, with its autumn slot the reason behind its nickname ‘the race of the falling leaves’. 

But after racing was suspended due to coronavirus earlier this year, the UCI opted to hold the race in the peak of the season as the governing body tries to fit an entire season’s worth of racing into just four month. 

This year we’re expecting a thrilling edition as Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) makes his Monument debut as the race favourite. 

The Belgian star is expected to take on the race, saying himself he’s in peak form and has never prepared so well for a race.

But he’ll have to overcome challenges from former winners Vincenzo Nibali and Bauke Mollema, as Trek-Segafredo have been aggressive in every race they’ve entered this year. 

With the Criterium du Dauphine clashing with this year’s edition of Il Lombardia, many of the best climbers in the world won’t be present in Italy, but you can check out the full start list here. 

 The 2020 edition follows a very similar, if slightly shorter, 231km course from Bergamo to Como and features the iconic Civiglio, Muro di Sormano and Madonna del Ghisallo climbs. 

Here are all the broadcast details for the 2020 Il Lombardia: 

How to watch Il Lombardia 2020 in the UK 

For UK cycling fans the 2020 edition of Il Lombardia will be shown live on Eurosport 2, with coverage kicking off at 3.45pm and running until 5.30pm. 

You can also view the race via the GCN Race Pass with extended coverage from 2.50pm to 5.50pm. 

 To gain access to Eurosport coverage you’ll either need a sports package through Sky or Virgin Media, or you can subscribe to the Eurosport Player app for £39.99 a year or £6.99 per month.

Access to the GCN Race Pass costs £39.99 a year, with an early bird offer costing £19.99. 

Not in the UK for Il Lombardia 2020? No worries – just download and install a VPN and use a UK location to watch live as if you were back home. Full instructions below. 

Il Lombardia 2020 TV Guide 

UK - Eurosport 2 - From 3.53pm to 5.30pm. GCN Race Pass - From 2.50pm until 5.50pm 

US and Canada - FloBikes - From from 8.50am to 11.50am CDT 

Italy - RAI 2 - From 3.30pm EST. Eurosport from 3.50pm EST.  

How to live stream Il Lombardia 2020 when you’re not in your country 

If you’re heading abroad during the racing –whether that be inside the UK or anywhere else – you may find access to your favourite home broadcaster is restricted by location. Luckily there is a way you can keep watching anyway – downloading and installing a VPN, which allows you to trick your computer into thinking it’s back at home. This allows you to find your native broadcaster coverage without having to resort to an illegal steam, as long as you stick to the terms and conditions set out by the broadcaster.

>>> Six things to look out for at Il Lombardia 2020 

Setting up a VPN is simple – just download, install, open the app and select your location. 

Try out ExpressVPN  for its speed, security and simplicity to use. We also like that it’s compatible with so many devices and streaming services (e.g. Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, PS4, etc).

There are other great options out there of course, but Express VPN gives you the added benefit of a 30-day money back guarantee and three months free with a yearly plan.

Watch Il Lombardia 2020 in the US and Canada 

For those in the United States and Canada, FloBikes will be showing the action live from 8.50am CDT. 

You’ll need a subscription to view (plans start from $12.50 a month).

Flo Bikes isn’t available outside of the US or Canada, so if you’re heading abroad from America during the racing you may find access to your favourite home broadcaster is restricted by location. Luckily there is a way you can keep watching anyway – downloading and installing a VPN.

Watch Il Lombardia 2020 in Italy  

The home Italian fans can catch Il Lombardia on Rai 2 TV from 3.30pm EST or on Eurosport from 3.50pm.

Race of the unfallen leaves

In a season full of incongruities, Il Lombardia being held in August might just be the most disorientating of all. Unlike most the races held post-lockdown, which were rearranged following postponements from earlier in the season, Il Lombardia has been brought forward from its usual October slot, the traditional season closer instead becoming this year’s second Monument classic.

The so-called 'Race of the Falling Leaves' will therefore lack its autumnal character, instead taking place in a Northern Italy that is still green and sunny, with temperatures forecasted to reach 30 degrees.

The circumstances and context might be very different, but the route remains very much the same as we’ve grown used to in recent years. For the fourth consecutive year it will begin in Bergamo and end in Como (an area which, incidentally, was the most severely hit by Covid during the spring), with the key climbs of Madonna del Ghisallo, Colma di Sormano, Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia all featuring once again.

The only significant change from last year is that 12km have been cut from the middle of the race, reducing its overall total to 231km — a little shorter than usual, but still long enough to justify its status as one of the toughest races on the calendar.

A long endgame

One of the many great things about Il Lombardia is that you don’t have to wait long for the race to come alive. As riveting as the finale of last week’s Milan-San Remo was, the build-up before it can only be said to have been nail-bitingly tense rather than chock-full of action.

That won’t be the case in Lombardy on Saturday. Here, the endgame begins as early as 75km from the finish, at the foot of the Madonna del Ghisallo. With its church and cycling museum at the summit, it is the spiritual home of the Giro di Lombardia and its most famous landmark, and a real tough effort with gradients exceeding 10 per cent on its lower slopes.

In terms of difficulty though, it pales in comparison to the next climb. Beginning with a steady 5km averaging 6.6 per cent, the Colma di Sormano suddenly ramps up for its final 2km, a mercilessly steep ‘wall’ that barely dips beneath 15%, let alone 10%, that the riders almost have to crawl up.

It’s the most difficult stretch of the whole race, and, in terms of whittling down the field to a select few contenders for victory, the most important. Even with over 50km left to ride after its summit, lose touch here and your race is probably over.

The Civiglio

While the crucial initial selections tend to form at Sormano, the decisive attack to win the race has in recent years been made on the Civiglio.

That was the case last year, when Bauke Mollema tried his luck a couple of kilometres from the summit of the climb, and was allowed to go clear by a sizeable group of favourites who underestimated his potential to solo all the way to the finish. A smaller group made it to the foot of the climb in 2018, but the result was the same, with Thibaut Pinot this time being the triumphant lone attacker.

And before that, Vincenzo Nibali used the climb — both its ascent and descent — as a launchpad for his two victories in 2017 and 2015.

As well as being very steep, key to the Civiglio’s appeal is the fact its gradient doesn’t fluctuate much (remaining at around 9-10 per cent throughout), and that, at 4km in length, it takes a long time to climb. It’s not a short, steep wall that’s over in a flash, but a drawn-out, tactical process where the crucial moment could occur anywhere on its slopes.

Although it’s only the penultimate climb of the race, the San Fermo della Battaglia that follows it is both shorter and a lot less steep, meaning that any rider with hopes of winning must commit themselves here. An agonising 17km ride to the finish from the summit awaits, but you’re better off riding solo ahead of the race than desperately trying to catch back up from behind.

All eyes on Remco Evenepoel

Based solely on his performances so far this season, it’s difficult to imagine any result at Il Lombardia other than Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) claiming victory. The uniquely talented 20-year old has won all four of the stage races he’s competed in so far this season, often in truly spectacular fashion — none less though than at the Tour of Poland, where he conquered the queen stage with a jaw-dropping 50km solo attack.

But victory at Il Lombardia is far from a foregone conclusion. It must be remembered that the race will be the first ever monument Evenepoel has appeared, and will therefore be longer and harder than any other single day classic he has experienced before. Victory at the Clásica San Sebastián last season might have been a huge breakthrough for the Belgian, but Lombardia is on another level in terms of difficulty, and attracts a more competitive field. For a 20-year-old, even one as talented as, winning on a first attempt is a huge ask.

Still, despite the caveats, Evenepoel still seems like the man to beat, and all eyes will be on him. Could he go for another long-range attack, as at Poland last week and San Sebastián last year (which he won with a 20km solo attack)? The parcours at Lombardy is certainly conducive to early attacks, and what we’ve seen so far indicates that Evenepoel loves to ride with panache. Anything seems to be within the capabilities of this young man.

Fuglsang and Van der Poel lead list of challengers

Due to the clash with the Criterium du Dauphine, many riders who might have been favourites for victory in Lombardy won’t be able to compete, including Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), 2018 winner Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), and last year’s podium finishers Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Egan Bernal (Ineos).

Nevertheless, the start list is still replete with star names gunning for glory. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) will be one such star, although he hasn’t yet reached his stunning levels of last spring, with third place at Wednesday’s Gran Piemonte his only top ten finish of the season so far. The parcours at Lombardy may also be too difficult for the Dutchman even if he were on top form, and could also scupper the hopes of other riders who perform well in the less challenging classics such as Michael Matthews (Sunweb) and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates).

Il Lombardia is a Classic for the climbers, so could be Jakob Fuglsang’s chance to shine. The Dane has been in the form of his life since the beginning of 2019, the highlight being victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and should savour the hilly parcours.

Last year’s fifth place finisher Michael Woods (EF Pro Cycling) has the pedigree but lacks the form, while Paris-Nice winner Max Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) has the form but lacks the pedigree having finished 73rd last year on his one and only appearance. Whereas the climbing legs of a heavier Classics specialist like him will be severely tested in Lombardy, climbers more associated with success at Grand Tours such as Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz (Ineos) and Jumbo-Visma’s George Bennett (who won his first ever one-day race this week at Gran Piemonte) will have a rare chance to go for a classics win.

Trek-Segafredo’s aggressive tactics

Trek-Segafredo head to Il Lombardia with both defending champion Bauke Mollema and the winner of the 2015 and 2017 editions Vincenzo Nibali in their line-up, making them one of the teams to watch this year.

Despite not appearing to be the strongest rider, Bauke Mollema won last year’s edition by taking a chance with a long-range attack, so we can expect the team to adopt a similarly aggressive strategy this year in the hope of a repeat victory.

Aggressive racing is certainly in the DNA of their riders, with most of Nibali’s major victories coming from ambitious moves, and young Italian Giulio Ciccone is earning a reputation for his attacking racing.

>>> Chris Froome ‘feeling better and better’ as he does ‘all he can’ to make case for Tour inclusion 

And the team’s tactics of late have taken this approach. They were the chief instigators of attacks throughout Milan-San Remo, and rode on the front foot at Gran Piemonte with Nibali attempting to set up Ciccone for an attack on the final climb.

They weren't successful on either of those occasions, but with such a strong roster featuring so many riders capable of winning, we can expect them to animate the race on Saturday.

Remco Evenepoel says he’s in top form as he looks for victory in his first time riding a Monument at Il Lombardia this weekend.

The Belgian star will be taking on the Italian one-day race for the first time, but he is confident in his abilities and says he’s never been more prepared for a race.  

Evenepoel has won all four stage races he’s entered this year and has taken at least one stage in all of them, as he has come back to the reset cycling season in peerless form. 

The 20-year-old told cycling website Weilerflits: “This is my first peak of the year and I’m ready for it. 

“I’m in top form and I’ve never prepared for a race so well.” 

Deceuninck - Quick-Step rider Evenepoel has been phenomenal ever since he joined the WorldTour last season, racking up 14 pro wins already.

But the young rider is still developing as he is set to make his Monument debut in Italy on Saturday (August 15) and ride his first Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia later this year. 

The tough profile of Lombardia suits Evenepoel, who has won tough climbing days at the Vuelta a Burgos and the Tour of Poland in the last few weeks. 

He also took victory in the 2019 Clásica San Sebastián, which is a similar style of one-day race to Lombardia.

Evenepoel added: “I know the turns, I know how tough the climbs are - that’s important in a one-day race. 

“It’s all or nothing. You can correct something in a stage race, but not in a Classic.” 

Many of the top climbers in the pro peloton will be absent from Lombardia, as the race clashes with the Critérium du Dauphiné during the redesigned season, but Evenepoel will still face tough competition. 

>>> Strava stats from Wout van Aert, Chris Froome and Tadej Pogačar reveal how tough day one of Critérium du Dauphiné was 

Former winners Vincenzo Nibali and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) are scheduled to ride, alongside Jumbo-Visma’s George Bennett who won Gran Piemonte this week. 

Remco Evenepoel will make his Monument debut at Il Lombardia, his Deceuninck - Quick-Step team have revealed.

The 20-year-old Belgian will be on the start line for the Italian one-day race on August 15, which will be his third UCI race back after the coronavirus break.

Evenepoel will first be part of Deceuninck - Quick-Step's Vuelta a Burgos squad, starting on July 28, before also taking part in the Tour de Pologne a week later.

Having already won two stage races in the Vuelta a San Juan and Volta ao Algarve this year, Evenepoel says the pressure is mostly off for now, as his main goals for the season come later on in the revised calendar.

>>> Chris Froome leaving won’t change Tour de France position, says Ineos sports director

"It will be my first time in Poland and I look forward to it," Evenepoel said. "I will start the Tour de Pologne without any pressure. I have already proven that I can compete for the win in this kind of stage race. Also, my main goals are later in the season. But we’ll see how I feel and if the opportunity presents itself, I won’t waste it. If I feel really good, I could still go for a stage win or the GC. I don’t have to prove myself but I always expect a lot from myself."

Having won every race he's turned up for in 2020 so far, Evenepoel's confidence is not misplaced, and he says he will try to go to Il Lombardia in "peak condition". The Italian Monument will be his second-ever WorldTour one-day race, having won his first at Clásica San Sebastian last August.

"I will try to be in peak condition by then," Evenepoel said. "It’s a beautiful and prestigious race. We’ve already been talking about it with the team. We’ll have a strong line-up as it will be very tough. If I have to compare it to a race I’ve already done, I’d say the Clasica San Sebastian, but I expect it to be even tougher.

"The weather will be crucial this year with temperatures that could easily rise up to 30 degrees. It doesn’t really scare me, I think I can handle the heath, but the combination of high temperatures, fluid loss, technical descents and a demanding parcours will make it a hard race. After all, that’s why it’s a Monument."

After that, the European time trial champion will turn out for a race against the clock at his national championships, before defending his European champion's jersey in Trento, Italy, in September.

Then it will be time for his first Grand Tour, the Giro d'Italia, and an opening time trial on October 3 will give Evenepoel the chance to take his first Grand Tour leader's jersey.

Bauke Mollema profits from hesitant rivals

Bauke Mollema no doubt rode a fantastic race to secure his first ever Monument, countering at the right time following a series of attacks that had drained the group of favourites, before getting his head down and powering the final 18km all the way to the finish line.

However, the tactics of his rivals left a lot to be desired. There seemed to be no cohesion between the likes of Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), Egan Bernal (Ineos) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in their pursuit of the Dutchman, each rider too wary of given another a tow to the finish line and looking the fool.

Instead, in between bouts of turning around to admire each other's trade jerseys for one final time this year, each race favourite took it in turns to hit out on their own, staying out front for a while before being reeled back in.

Ultimately, this allowed Mollema, who had done well to take out a 20 second advantage soon after his attack, to time trial his way to victory, not having to worry about someone coming from behind to join him and contest a sprint. At the end of the season, there are not only tired legs but tired minds in the peloton, so it is not surprising that riders who we'd usually expect more from got it slightly wrong today after a heavy season.

Alejandro Valverde's immortal form

A year after taking his world road race title in Innsbruck, Alejandro Valverde decided to change tact and secure a string of second place finishes.

Valverde finished second in *deep breath* the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, Vuelta Ciclista Murcia, UAE Tour, Vuelta a España, Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli, Milano-Torino, and of course, Il Lombardia.

The Spaniard will have hoped for a few more wins given that many runner-up places, you don't have as successful a career as Valverde has had by settling for second, but that the 39-year-old has maintained such a high and consistent level of form from February through to October is astonishing.

With Mikel Landa and Nairo Quintana leaving Movistar at the end of the year, the Spanish team's fortunes will rest squarely on their veteran rider, as well as new signing Enric Mas, and who would bet against Valverde once again being at the sharp end of the major races next season once again?

A day to forget for Italians

While Italian fans won't have harboured major ambitions of a home win in their Monument, they would have been hoping for a little bit more from their riders and two-time winner Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida).

The Italian was vocal about doubting his form ahead of the race, but was still in the front group with 20km remaining. However, he then nearly came a cropper as he swerved to avoid a stray bottle and somehow managed to stay upright, avoiding a collision with the kerb. Forced to chase back up, the shark of Messina was dropped not long after, eventually finishing in 55th place, six minutes down.

In further bad news for the Italians, not one of their riders managed to make the top 10, a feat last achieved in 1990. Although Fausto Masnado (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec) rode a strong breakaway ride on home roads, Giovanni Visconti (Neri Sottoli - Selle Italia - KTM) was the nation's highest finisher in 17th place.

Egan Bernal finishes off dream season

In spite of Egan Bernal's youthful appearance, his performances on the bike in 2019 have often made you forget the Colombian is only 22 years old.

Therefore, when he was asked in his post-race interview whether he had any regrets with his third place, the Ineos rider's reply held the sentiment of how could he possibly after the year he has had.

A maiden Tour de France victory, wins at the Tour de Suisse and Paris-Nice, as well as taking Gran Piemonte two days earlier in Italy, adding a first Monument podium to that tally is hardly going to keep him up at night through the off-season. Bernal will surely only improve in 2020, and what a spectacle that promises to be.

A last goodbye for many

Laurens ten Dam (CCC) rode his final ever race at Il Lombardia following a 20-year professional racing career. There are probably few places more picturesque than Lake Como for your last race, and the Dutchman will have soaked in every moment as he rolled over the line in 94th place, more than 17 minutes down on his compatriot Mollema.

While the majority of riders racing in the final one-day WorldTour event of the season won't be hanging up their jerseys for good this winter, a number will be exchanging them for new ones.

Mikel Landa abandoned with 60km remaining in his final race in a Movistar jersey, while Vincenzo Nibali faltered in his last outing in Bahrain-Merida colours before he swaps to a similar red with Trek-Segafredo.

Dan Martin moves from UAE Team Emirates to Israel Cycling Academy, and will retain WorldTour rider status after his new employers agreed to take over Katusha's licence. Philippe Gilbert also put in his last effort wearing Deceuninck - Quick-Step colours, the 37-year-old having signed a three-year deal with Lotto-Soudal.

Bauke Mollema says that his rivals underestimating him may have helped him secure his first Monument, after taking Il Lombardia following an 18km solo ride to the finish line.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Pierre Latour (Ag2r La Mondiale) had launched big attacks to soften the group of favourites before Mollema slipped off the front and quickly opened up an advantage.

>>> Here are all the riders retiring at the end of the 2019 season

"I knew I had to go because when the guys were attacking on the Civiglio they were more explosive than me," Mollema said after his win. "So when they slowed down I knew it was my moment to go and I can always keep going."

The 32-year-old had one final climb to negotiate, the San Fermo della Battaglia, managing to maintain his advantage as the other riders behind failed to get organised in their pursuit of the Dutchman.

"When I had 20 seconds I knew I had a chance, I know the downhill really well and I knew they weren't going faster than me over there. And then the last 10km was just full gas all the time," Mollema said.

In his post-race interview, Mollema was also asked whether he was allowed to go up the road in the closing kilometres because his rivals underestimated him. He replied: "Maybe, I wasn't one of the biggest favourites for this race, I felt really good in the last few weeks and I was waiting for my moment and luckily it was today."

Valverde sealed his third second place in Il Lombardia (as well as his third second place in Italy this week) 16 seconds after Mollema crossed the line, beating Egan Bernal (Ineos) in the sprint with Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) fourth.

The 2019 Tour de France winner secured his first ever Monument podium and Bernal was content with this result, having already won Gran Piemonte two days previously.

"In the morning I was thinking about just doing my best but being on the podium is something really big for me," Bernal said. "This is my first Monument podium so I'm really happy with my performance."

When asked whether he had any regrets at having come close to sealing what could have been a first Monument victory, Bernal replied: "Mollema was really strong, when he went on the climb he made a big gap and in the end he was the strongest.

"I would like to win a Monument one day but it's difficult to stay in the front. I will improve more and I'm just 22 years old so this [result today] is something big for me."

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) sealed his maiden Monument victory after solo-ing to victory at Il Lombardia 2019.

As the attacks came in thick and fast in the closing kilometres, the Dutchman countered with 18km remaining as the group of favourites let him go up the road.

>>> Here are all the riders retiring at the end of the 2019 season

The 32-year-old kept his head down and pushed hard as his advantage crept up, with those behind failing to get organised and chase the Trek-Segafredo rider down.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) attempted to peg Mollema back but left it too late, as he eventually out-sprinted Egan Bernal (Ineos) to take second, with Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) fourth.

Mollema becomes the first Dutch winner of Il Lombardia since 1981, with no Italian rider making the top 10 for the first time since 1990.

How it happened

Cesare Benedetti (Bora-Hansgrohe), Remi Cavagna (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Toms Skujinš (Trek-Segafredo) and Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), made it into the early breakaway, opening up a gap of 1-50 over the peloton before more riders including Fausto Masnada (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec) jumped across and the advantage grew to 5-45.

As they started the climb to Madonna del Ghisallo, Skujinš attacked with 71km remaining. Behind, Ineos paced the peloton up the Ghisallo, before Masnada then went it alone up front, maintaing a gap of 2-38. The Italian was the first over the summit as Bob Jungels (Deceuninck - Quick-Step attacked the peloton behind.

Mikel Landa then abandoned the race as the bunch started the climb up to Muro di Sormano, having not finished a single Italian one-day race this past week.

With 61km remaining, Skujinš had got back on to Masnada on the descent, with the Muro di Sormano up ahead and an advantage of two minutes over the peloton.

Simon Geschke (CCC), Pierre Rolland and Gianluca Brambilla attacked on the climb, the escapees now only a minute up the road. Soon after Rafał Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) stretched his legs, with Ivan Sosa (Ineos) and Pierre Latour (Groupama-FDJ) going with him, as Michael Woods (EF Education First) also followed.

More attacks came in thick and fast as riders realised the quality of riders that were starting to go up the road. Giulio Ciccone (Trek-Segafredo), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) and Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) made their moves with Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Enric Mas (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) and Valverde all coming across as 23 riders found themselves in the front group on the descent of the Muro.

After a momentary pause in the action, Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) and Emanuel Buchmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) decided to chance their arm, going off the front with 34.5km to go.

Vincenzo Nibali then narrowly avoiding coming off his bike, swerving into the kerb after a stray bottle made its way through the pack, the Italian somehow managing to remain upright.

Movistar's Rubén Fernández then upped the pace on the orders of Valverde, who was feeling good, as Kuss grimaced in his wheel, the peloton beginning to whittle down behind into the serious contenders.

After Wellens had been caught, Buchmann was also soon swallowed up following Alejandro Valverde launching a big attack off the front. The former world champion lingered out ahead before being brought back in as Bauke Mollema made his own bid for freedom with 18km to go.

Pierre Latour was the next to attack, as Sosa dragged the group of favourites on to the Frenchman's wheel. Michael Woods then emerged at the front of the group, being closely watched behind by Roglič.

Latour went again, pounding the pedals as Woods kept him in touching distance, before going a third time with Roglič then marking the Frenchman.

Sosa then dropped off as Bernal moved up to second wheel behind Roglič, with Mollema taking his gap up the road out to 20 seconds.

With 17km to go, it was fourth time lucky for Latour, who finally managed to open up a gap in his attempt to jump across to Mollema. However, the Frenchman was brought back in on the descent of the Civiglio, meanwhile Mollema had increased his gap to 27 seconds up ahead with 13km to go.

As Fuglsang led the chase group of favourites down the descent, he encountered his second sketchy moment on the tricky hairpins, managing to stay up right as he negotiated a corner at speed.

With 10km to go, Mollema's advantage was 45 seconds, as Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) came to the front of the peloton before Roglič came over the top and attacked, knowing Mollema would soon be out of reach up ahead if he wasn't already.

With less than 7km to go, Michael Woods tried to ride Valverde off his wheel, with Roglič visible up the road. The Slovenian had brought Mollema to within 30 seconds to go with half a kilometre to go to the top of the climb but after another kilometre Valverde had managed to bring the chase group back to Roglič.

Michael Woods then went again, as the favourites desperately tried to reduce Mollema's advantage. Egan Bernal then launched from behind, but was unable to shake off Valverde and the others.

With 5km left, the chase group were still looking around at each other, as Valverde set off on his own to close the gap of 20 seconds to Mollema.

No-one could pull the Dutchman back, though, as he stayed strong to cross the finish line in first. Behind, Valverde fought off Bernal in the sprint finish to take second, with Jakob Fuglsang finishing fourth.

Result

Il Lombardia 2019: Bergamo to Como (243km)

1. Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo, in 5-52-59

2. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, at 16 seconds

3. Egan Bernal (Col) Ineos

4. Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana, both at same time

5. Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First, at 34s

6. Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton-Scott

7. Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, both at same time

8. Emanuel Buchmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 52s

9. Pierre Latour (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale

10. Rudy Molard (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, both at same time

Primož Roglič and Egan Bernal the clear favourites

There are two clear danger-men heading into the final Monument of the year, both with memorable wins in the build-up.

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) remains the bookies’ favourite for Il Lombardia, running hot after winning the Vuelta a España and following up with one-day victories in the Giro dell’Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine.

The Slovenian enters the race as the most-watched rider, alongside Egan Bernal (Team Ineos), who looks to be peaking in perfect time having just won Gran Piemonte in emphatic style.

While this pair may be the strongest riders in the race, their obvious form means they will be closely marked and will have to play tactical a master class if they want to escape their rivals.

Adam Yates the wildcard

After a disappointing year focussing on general classification, Adam Yates is perfectly place to secure the biggest victory of his career in Il Lombardia.

After taking a stage and the overall at the CRO Race earlier this month, Yates has ridden only one of the Italian one-day races in the lead-up to the Monument.

A third-place finish in Milano-Torino was an encouraging result for the Brit, without drawing too much attention to his form.

>>> This is who the bookies are backing to win Il Lombardia 2019

Yates has an explosive finish that has seen him beat Alejandro Valverde on a sharp climb, which will serve him well if he finds himself in a small group of talent heading for the finish.

Another wildcard to watch is Michael Woods (EF Education First), who powered away from Valverde and Yates in Milano-Torino to take victory.

However, the Canadian’s relentless attacking performance in that race was lacking in tactical prowess and his rivals are unlikely to let him win on strength alone when the stakes are higher on Saturday.

Dangerous Deceuninck - Quick-Step

Quick-Step haven’t reached the top-step of Il Lombardia since 2006 when Paolo Bettini beat Samuel Sánchez, and have only come close once since then with Julian Alaphilippe second in 2017.

While Alaphilippe is skipping the race this year after a phenomenal but exhausting 2019 season, Quick-Step are still in with a strong chance at victory posting four potential winners.

First among them is Philippe Gilbert, back-to-back winner in 2009 and 2010.

The Belgian is in outstanding form and will be keen to prove it after crashing out of the World Championship road race. With two stage wins in the Vuelta, the 37-year-old will be looking to repeat his previous success.

Quick-step can also look to Spanish climber Enric Mas, who has had a comparatively quiet 2019 season. But after a quiet racing schedule in the late season and a tenth-place finish in Milano-Torino, Mas should be rested heading into the race, but how will his motivation hold? After a long year and a move to Movistar for 2020 on the way, Quick-Step may not opt to back his chances.

Luxembourger Bob Jungels is another serious threat for Il Lombardia, however this year may not be for him.

The 27-year-old has had a mixed 2019, winning Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne but then trying his had at general classification in the Giro, where he didn’t reach previous heights.

Jungels, the Luxembourg time trial and road race champion, didn’t finish the World Championship road race (along with dozens of others) or Milano-Torino, so his legs may be suffering.

The final hopeful is James Knox, the rising British star.

Knox has gone from strength to strength this season, finishing in the top-10 of WorldTour stages races and finishing 11th in his first (completed) Grand Tour at the Vuelta.

The 23-year-old has only raced Milano-Torino since the Vuelta, which he didn’t finish, so his form may be in question.

The Movistar trident returns

There has been plenty of mirth in recent seasons about Movistar’s determination to carry three leaders through Grand Tours, and it looks like they may try it once more in a Monument.

According to the provisional start list, Movistar will take Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa and Alejandro Valverde to Il Lombardia for once last hurrah before Quintana and Landa depart for other teams next season.

Valverde has to be their chosen rider for Il Lombardia as clearly the most in-form rider and one whose attributes are perfectly suited to the climber’s Monument.

However, Valverde has never won the race before, perhaps a surprise considering his palmarès. With second-place finishes in Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli and Milano-Torino, Valverde looks well placed to tick this one off.

Former winners chasing former glory

There are a handful of former winners lining up at Il Lombardia who will be looking for repeats, although last year’s winner Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) will be absent after picking up an injury at the Tour de France.

Aside from Gilbert, 2016 winner Esteban Chaves will be riding, although most likely in support of Adam Yates.

Chaves has been returning from a long illness and still isn’t back to his best, although he finished the World Championship road race in awful conditions and finished 14th in Giro dell’Emilia, which suggest he may at least be able to provide strong support for his Mitchelton-Scott leader.

>>> Il Lombardia 2019: Provisional start list 

Vincenzo Nibali is also expected to race, having won in 2017 and 2015.

The Bahrain-Merida rider has been quiet in the late season, with just nine race days since the Tour and opting to skip the Worlds, however that may have left him rested for a strong tilt at Lombardia after finishing second last year.

Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates) will also be back, hoping to repeat his victory from 2014.

The double Monument winner has been consistent throughout the year but hasn’t seen the top step since the Tour last year – maybe this is his chance to change that.

The final Monument of the year is just around the corner and the bookmakers have made their predictions for who will win the prestigious crown.

Il Lombardia is the last opportunity for riders to take a major win, and with the course designed for the climbers it’s an opportunity for Grand Tour stars to face up against Classics specialists.

The week leading up to the Italian Classic often offers clues as to who is still in form in the late season, with a series of one-day races building to the crescendo on Saturday (October 12).

>>>  Il Lombardia 2019: Provisional start list 

Here’s a look at who the bookies are backing to win the 2019 Il Lombardia:

The favourite to take the win in the “race of the falling leaves” will not be a surprise considering his form throughout 2019, but the bookies have Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) as the star rider at 3/1.

Slovenian Roglič heads into the race after winning the Vuelta a España and taking double victories in the Giro dell’Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine in the build-up to Lombardia.

Next in the pecking order is EF Education First rider Michael Woods, who celebrated a memorable victory in Milano-Torino on Wednesday (October 9).

The Canadian’s performance may have been lacking in tactical prowess, but his relentless attacking on the final climb eventually cracked his rivals as he rode away to a strong victory.

Woods currently sits at 6/1 with the bookmakers, two days out from Lombardia.

Next up is Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who is yet to take a win in the Italian Monument, despite coming close in 2013 and 2014, finishing second in both editions.

Valverde looks strong, having finished fifth in the Giro dell’Emilia and second in both Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli and Milano-Torino, which makes him third favourite in the bookies’ eyes at 13/2.

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Former winner Vincenzo Nibali is also among the favourites at 12/1, despite a poor run of results since the Tour de France.

Tour winner Egan Bernal is also in the list at 14/1, having finished second in the Giro della Toscana last month and sixth in Milano-Torino, however his recent performances suggest he is missing some of the form that won him the yellow jersey earlier this year.

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) is currently at 14/1, while Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) is 20/1.

Other riders worth mentioning include Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates at 40/1 and double winner Philippe Gilbert (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) at 66/1.

Il Lombardia 2019 (Winner – Oddschecker)

Primož Roglič (Slo) Jumbo-Visma, 3/1

Michael Woods (Can) EF Education First, 11/2

Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, 13/2

Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, 12/1

Egan Bernal (Col) Team Ineos, 14/1

Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana, 14/1

Adam Yates (GBr) Mitchelton-Scott, 20/1

David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, 28/1

Diego Ulissi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates, 33/1

Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, 40/1

Sergio Higuita (Col) EF Education First, 40/1

All odds correct at time of publication 

All three 2019 Grand Tour winners are set to line-up for the final top-flight one-day race of the season, Il Lombardia.

Giro d'Italia winner Richard Carapaz is set to feature in what will be one of his final races for Movistar before he moves to Ineos for the 2020 season, where he will be a team-mate of Tour de France winner Egan Bernal, who is expected to line-up for the Italian Monument. Vuelta a España victor Primož Roglič is also set to be part of a strong Jumbo-Visma line-up.

>>> Il Lombardia 2019: Provisional start list

The final of the five Monuments to be raced this year, Il Lombardia takes place on Saturday October 12, with the 243km route starting in Burgamo and finishing in Como.

Defending champion Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) will not be taking part, after he ended his season early after abandoning the Tour de France in tears through injury just as he looked to lay claim to the yellow jersey.

However, a super strong field is expected to take the start line, with two-time winner and last year's runner-up Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) vying for a third victory before his move to Trek-Segafredo, while Deceuninck - Quick-Step look likely to bring their two Classics stars of 2019 in Julian Alaphilippe and Philippe Gilbert.

Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) will be targeting a second Monument after picking up his first at Liège-Bastogne-Liège this year, and Carapaz will line-up alongside Movistar heavyweights Mikel Landa and Alejandro Valverde.

Like the Spanish squad, Jumbo-Visma also have strength in depth and are expected to take Steven Kruijswijk and Robert Gesink, as well as George Bennett and Vuelta a España stage winner Sepp Kuss.

Italy's hopes of a home victory will largely hinge on Nibali, although Trek-Segafredo's Giulio Ciccone could also harbour some ambitions, having showed his potential for panache when he took the king of the mountains classification and a stage at this year's Giro d'Italia.

Thibaut Pinot claims biggest win of his career to date

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) made the most of his career-best form to win the 2018 Il Lombardia, his most prestigious to date.

The Frenchman's career has been one of considerable ups and downs.

For every spectacular performance, like his breakthrough stage victory as a 22-year old at the 2012 Tour de France, and finishing on the podium two years later, there have been disheartening lows, as in 2013 when he lost all confidence in his descending, and during the first week of the 2015 Tour de France when his promising form was laid to waste by a series of crashes and mechanicals.

This season has been a bit like a microcosm of his career, with the low of capitulating and losing a podium spot at the Giro on the very last day being followed by the glory of two Vuelta a España stage wins, and now a stunning week in the autumnal Italian classics rounded off by the biggest win of them all.

Pinot may never become the Tour de France champion French fans have long hoped for, but today’s result means he will always be a Monument winner, and reinforces the notion that perhaps races on Italian roads and tough one-day Classics are where his true potential lies.

Nibali gives spirited defence of title

For the first time since fracturing his vertebrae at the Tour de France, Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) looked like his old self again.

He was the only rider capable of consistently matching Pinot when he made his blistering accelerations on the Muro di Sormano and Civiglio, and only lost contact with him in the final few metres of the latter.

As the finish neared, it seemed as though Nibali would be denied a podium finish despite having spent so much of the day looking so strong out off the front of the race, as a chasing group bore down on him.

But, miraculously - and perhaps aided by superb assistance from his Bahrain-Merida team, who frustrated the rest of the group by having Ion Izagirre and Domenico Pozzovivo mark every move - Nibali somehow managed to slip away again moments after being caught, and held on for second place.

It was a typically exciting performance by the Italian, and proof that he is still the rider he was pre-injury.

The Muro di Sormano shapes the race

Unusually for a one-day Classic, it was the race’s third-to-last climb, the Muro di Sormano, that shaped how the race unfolded.

It was here where Pinot first attacked, taking Nibali with him, and the two crested the top together having fully committed to the move.

Primož Roglič (LottoNL-Jumbo) quickly caught them on the following descent, having instigated the action on the Muro with an attack near the bottom of the climb, and a sensational descent from Egan Bernal (Team Sky) swelled the group to a mouth-wateringly strong quartet.

From that moment it was clear the chasers had a huge task on their hands to bring them back, and indeed they were unable to make any significant inroads, despite a full-hearted turn at the front from EF Education First-Drapac’s Daniel Martinez, and, later, attacks from the likes of Dan Martin (UAE Emirates) and Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First-Drapac).

The Muro shaped the course of the race, but it was the Civiglio where its denouement took place, as first Roglič and then Bernal were dropped, and finally, having worn him down with multiple accelerations, Pinot took one last prolonged look at Nibali, and at last cracked him.

A perfect parcours

For the last few years Il Lombardia has been reliably one of the best races of the season, thanks to a perfectly designed parcours that encourages exciting, attacking racing.

The key lies in the positioning of its climbs. The race’s hardest climb, the Muro di Sormano, is far enough away from the finish to leave plenty of racing left after it is crested, but not too far away for its impact to be nullified.

That the climbs that follow it - the Civiglio and, this year, the Monte Olimpino - are of declining difficulty means that riders are prompted to make their attacks earlier, as we saw with Pinot, Nibali and Roglič on the Muro, while the most picturesque and traditional climb, the Madonna del Ghisallo, is given a worthy, prominent place just before it, close enough to the business end of the race not to be a mere procession.

Other hilly classics that have produced relatively dull races in recent years - most notably Liège-Bastogne-Liège - could learn a thing or two from this route, and recognise the benefits of eschewing overly-difficult climbs too close to the finish line.

Big favourites flops

Much was expected of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) given his recent Worlds triumph and how strong he continued to look at Milano-Torino earlier in the week, but the Spaniard was unusually short of his best form, riding a withdrawn race and being dropped on the Civiglio, before ultimately finishing eleventh in a group behind the main chasers.

His day was however a lot better than another pre-race favourite, Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale). His chances unravelled as early as the Muro di Sormano was he dropped out of the back of the peloton, and he only narrowly missed out on a worse fate when a crash sustained after touching a fan’s errant camera strap was fortunately only benign.

A puncture sustained by Gianni Moscon (Team Sky) was the last we saw of him in the race, while Michael Woods (EF Education First- Drapac) was, like Valverde, dropped on the Civiglio.

His teammate Urán fared better by sprinting to fourth in the leading group of chasers, behind Dylan Teuns (BMC), who lands a first ever monument podium.

Thibaut Pinot won Il Lombardia after dropping his nearest rival Vincenzo Nibali and riding solo to the line.

The Frenchman was the strongest man in northern Italy and stuck with Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Primož Roglič (LottoNL-Jumbo) in their decisive move with almost 50km to ride.

Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) dropped Nibali in the final and rode away, leaving the rest of the field to battle for the podium.

Nibali came in second with a gap over a chasing group and Dylan Teuns (BMC Racing) won the small group sprint for third.

How it happened

The 2018 Il Lombardia route was 241km around the gorgeous Lake Como from Bergamo to Como in northern Italy.

Always characterised by it’s climbing, this year’s edition kicked off with the first serious climb – Colle Gallo – inside the opening 50km.

But the real crux of the race wasn’t until the final 70km, with the Madonna del Ghisallo followed immediately by the Colma di Sormano and the Muro di Sormano.

The first climb in this trio, Madonna del Ghisallo is an 8km ramp, average 6.2% gradient with a maximum of 14% but with a welcome flatter section before a short downhill two-thirds of the way through.

Then it’s straight into the Colma de Sormano.

At 5.2km long average 6.6%, its far from the most testing ascent of the day, but it’s then followed by the savage Muro.

The Muro is 1.92km long, with an average gradient of 17% and maxing out at 27% - it is brutal.

A long and beautiful descent follows, then a long flat drag to the final climbs of the day, starting with the Civiglio at 4.2km, 9.8% average and 14% at its steepest.

The final test was the Monte Olimpino – 1.7km averaging 5% - before the final three kilometre plummet to the line.

At the top of the day’s racing, the first semblance of a breakaway formed 20km into the race, as two riders went clear and were pursued by a unit of eight.

Approaching the Colle Gallo, the escapees had pulled out almost four minutes.

The early break consisted of Florian Sénéchal (Quick-Step Floors), Jhonathan Restrepo (Katusha-Alpecin), Michel Storer (Sunweb), Marco Marcato (UAE Team Emirates), Davide Ballerini (Androni-Sidermec), Umberto Orsini, Alessandro Tonelli (Bardiani CSF) and Franck Bonnmour (Fortuneo-Samsic) and the peloton was happy to give them an advantage.

The race leaders crested with first climb with around six minutes advantage and with the gap remaining steady over the 50km to the next climb, the Colle Brianza.

The break was finally caught with 50km to go as the race hit the terrifying Muro of Sormano and the race exploded.

Primož Roglič (LottoNL-Jumbo) kicked off first and was followed by Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), with Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) not far behind.

Pinot and Nibali crested the climb first and dropped Roglič.

Roman Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) then crashed after getting caught in the camera strap of a spectator in the road.

The duo of Nibali and Pinot pulled out a 40 second lead on the descent, with reigning world champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) left in the peloton to lead the chase.

Roglič rejoined to make a trio of quality at the head of the race with 16km of flat terrain to tackle before the next climb.

Team Sky’s young Colombian superstar Egan Bernal emerged not far behind the breakaway trio and rode phenomenally hard to join Nibali, Pinot and Roglič.

Valverde continued to ride with a large group of around 20 riders, but the group out front drew out a strong 48-second lead heading into the final 25km of the race.

Roglič was the first to lose contact with the leading group as Valverde struggled to hold the wheel of the group he had been leading.

Eventually the Spanish world champion was gone, dropped out the back of the chasing group and out of contention.

Bernal was finally dropped leaving Nibali and Pinot to battle it out, when the Frenchman attacked his Italian breakaway companion and pulled out a 20-second gap in no time at all.

Attacks from the group behind came from Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Dan Martin (UAE Team Emirates), who joined forces behind second place Nibali with 10km left to ride.

Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) was strong enough to join Majka and Martin, as Nibali battled and battled to keep Pinot within 30 seconds.

But the chasing group of less than 10 riders gained on the Italian and swept him up before the line.

Refusing to accept his fate Nibali jumped again and got away from that chasing group, showing outstanding heart at the death of the race.

Pinot crossed the line alone and had time to relish victory at the final Monument of the year.

Nibali finished second after breaking free of the chasers while Dylan Teuns of BMC Racing took the final spot on the podium.

Results

Il Lombardia 2018: Bergamo to Como (241km)

1. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, in 5-53-22

2. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, at 32 secs

3. Dylan Teuns (Bel) BMC Racing, at 43 secs

4. Rigoberto Urán (Col) EF Education First-Drapac

5. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal

6. Ion Izagirre (Esp) Bahrain-Merida

7. Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe

8. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Bahrain-Merida

9. Dan Martin (Irl) UAE Team Emirates, at 48 secs

10. George Bennett (NZl) LottoNL-Jumbo, at 1-22

Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac) "loves the Monuments" and wants to cap off a breakthrough season with Il Lombardia on Saturday.

With the way he has been going – third in the World Championships road race, and fourth in both the Giro dell'Emilia and the Tre Valli Varesine – Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) named Woods and his EF team-mate Rigoberto Urán as the favourites for the one-day Italian Monument.

>>>  Five things to look out for at the 2018 Il Lombardia

"That's more of an honour, you read so many press articles pre-race of these guys being mentioned and you wish for that to happen for your name to be there one day in the same line," the Canadian told Cycling Weekly. "Now it's happening. It's a surreal experience, that's why I'm enjoying and cherishing it."

Woods blasted through the mist of the Basque Country to his first Grand Tour stage win in the Vuelta a España. He rode clear with eventual winner Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in the Worlds. Now, he lines up for one last 2018 race, starting in Bergamo and ending in Como after the Ghisallo and Sormano climbs.

"Excited for it? Big time. I love the one-days, especially the Monuments, and the way my form is and the way Rigo is riding, it's going to be a great opportunity for the both of us," Woods added.

"Maybe next year I'll feel that pressure a bit more, but the way the season has go so far, any results now are just icing on the cake. I enjoy these interviews and limelight. Maybe next year it'll be more of a pressure situation."

Woods said after taking the bronze medal at the Innsbruck Worlds that he is starting to believe in himself now. With the Vuelta and the Worlds medal, he found confidence.

"It's hard to tell yourself you can win a bike race when you haven't done it before and when you don't have the results to back that up," Woods explained.

"Now I am getting to the point where I have those results, and have that respect in the team. I can be on the bus and say hey guys, 'I think I can win today.'

"I have that confidence, I believe I can win. There's so much doubting in the races when you don't know, but if you can be in the final and think, 'I can win this.' That's different."

Woods's "roller-coaster year" saw his wife, 37 months pregnant, stillbirth their son. They moved houses and just dealt with "a bunch of stress."

"This season has been a roller-coaster year, huge ups and downs. I think if I had more stability from a family perceptive at home I wouldn't have as many dips," he said.

"I started showing results in Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro d'Italia, but ended up getting sick in the Giro later. With some stability, I am getting the results I know I'm capable of, that's getting me excited for 2019.

"If we can have a bit more of a stable situation for next year, not lose a son, not move houses and a bunch of stress in our lives, then things will hopefully go as well as this year, if not better."

Woods travels back to Colorado and Canada after Lombardia to enjoy his off-season. He does not know where he will debut in 2019, but his programme will include the Ardennes Classics and the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France.

Valverde aims for victory in his new rainbow stripes

This weekend’s Il Lombardia, the fifth and final monument of the season, offers the first chance to see Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in rainbow stripes at a World Tour race.

Now that the he has at last been crowned world champion, there aren't too many top one-day Classics left for Valverde to conquer. But one race that stand out that he never won is Il Lombardia - in fact, it’s arguably the biggest hole now remaining on his palmarès in terms of prestigious races that are tailored towards his attributes.

>>> Il Lombardia 2018 start list

It appears the Spaniard is eager to put that right this week. Riders who have just won the Worlds generally tend to take either one of two different paths: either to end the season on the high of winning gold, or to go on and attempt to win Il Lombardia. Valverde is very much in the latter camp, having competed aggressively to finish third at Milano-Torino o Thursday, in anticipation of a challenge for victory in Lombardy on Saturday.

It’s true that no-one has won Il Lombardia in the rainbow stripes since Paolo Bettini in 2006, but you feel that Valverde - a rider who never seems to be off-form and can compete from February to October - is capable of doing so.

Does Nibali have the form to defend his title?

Recent years would dictate that Vincenzo Nibali is the man to beat on Saturday. Not only is the Italian defending champion following his solo breakaway last year, he also won in a similar fashion in 2015, on both occasions using his descending prowess to make a race winning move on the descent of the Civiglio.

That fact that this year’s edition again takes the riders from Bergamo to Como rather than vice versa, and therefore again features the Civiglio in its finale, appears to play into Nibali’s hands.

The big question regarding the Italian’s chances of sealing a third victory in four years is whether he has the form. We pondered the same question prior to both the Vuelta a España and World Championships, and on both occasions Nibali fell well short, but he has since shown some hints of improvement will active rides at both the Giro dell’Emilia and Tre Valli Varesine.

A lot of history is at stake should Nibali rise to the occasion - victory would not only see him enter an elite club of nine riders to have won this race at least three times, but also become the first rider to achieve the Milan-San Remo/Il Lombardia double since Eddy Merckx in 1971, and the first Italian to do so since Fausto Coppi in 1949.

On-form contenders seeking biggest career wins

Languishing behind Valverde at the World Champions were a procession of riders who just missed out on what would have been the biggest wins of each of their careers, and who are instead now hoping to claim that elusive major victory at Il Lombardia.

The silver and bronze medal, for instance, went to Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Michael Woods (EF Education First-Drapac) respectively, and the former will now be hoping to end a run of high-profile runner-up finishes at races like the Tour de France and Liège-Bastogne-Liège with a step up to the top tier of the podium, while the latter seeks to top his late-blooming stage win at the Vuelta with a Monument victory.

The prodigiously talented Gianni Moscon (Sky) finished fifth in Innsbruck and has his eye on what would be a first ever WorldTour-level victory, and will have the tifosi cheer him on as arguably Italy’s best hope for victory.

And Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), who road impressively in a domestique role in Innsbruck, has since demonstrated exceptional form with victory at Milano-Torino and second place at Tre Valli Varesine, and also has a great record at Il Lombardia having previously finished third (2015) and fifth (2017).

All of these riders have the form to compete for victory - the question is whether they have the winning pedigree to take the extra step and evolve from serial near-missers to champions.

Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano

Two climbs stand out as spectacles not to be missed at Il Lombardia - Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano.

The Madonna del Ghisallo is the landmark most synonymous with the 113-year old race, having first featured in it way back in 1919. It’s not the toughest of challenges, nor does it play too decisive a role in how the race plays out these days, but as a spiritual site the church has become as much a shrine for cycling fans as it is for Christians.

The Muro di Sormano may not boast the same history, having only appeared three times in the 1960s prior to its reintroduction in 2012, but is an equally unmissable thanks to its brutal gradients. So steep is the climb that it was removed from the race altogether from 1963 for being too difficult, and only now in the modern, technologically advanced peloton are its slopes of over 20 per cent deemed rideable.

Both climbs are tackled in quick succession between 70km - 47km from the finish, and mark the point when the racing is likely to really get going.

A tweaked finale

Eschwing its usual annually alteration between finishes in Bergamo and Como, this year’s Il Lombardia will repeat last year’s route finishing in Como, albeit with one minor - but potentially significant - tweak.

The finish line remains at Lungo Lario Trento e Trieste, and the Civiglio retains its place as the crucial penultimate climb, but concerns about possible landslides means that the usual final climb of San Fermo della Battaglia has been replaced by Monte Olimpino.

Averaging five per cent over 1.7km, Monte Olimpino is a significantly easier climb, meaning riders will be incentivised to ride more aggressively on the earlier, tougher climbs if they’re to be confident of getting a gap.

The Civiglio is the obvious place for the favourites to make their moves, whether going up it or, a la Nibali, on its downhill.

But who knows, maybe we’ll even see race-winning moves as early as the Madonna del Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano?

Il Lombardia, the autumn Monument, pits many of the peloton's best climbers and puncheurs against each other on a hilly course, travelling 257 kilometres between Bergamo and Como on Saturday, October 13.

The 2017 race was won by Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), who attacked on the penultimate climb, resulting in a solo break that lasted until the end in a thrilling home victory.

>>> Il Lombardia 2017: Latest news, reports and race info

Eurosport will be showing the race once again.

You can also catch the 2018 racing on fuboTV – there’s a free trial and you can connect on any device. 

If you don't have a chance to catch the action live, you can always catch up with the highlights broadcast at regular intervals on Saturday night and Sunday.

Il Lombardia live TV guide

Saturday, October 13

13.30-16.30, Il Lombardia LIVE, Eurosport 1/Eurosport 1HD

20.00-21.30, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 1/Eurosport 1HD

Sunday, October 14 

00.30-01.15, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 2/Eurosport 2HD

03.30-04.30, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 2/Eurosport 2HD

06.00-08.00, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 2/Eurosport 2HD06.00-0830-9.30, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 1/Eurosport 1HD

16.00-17.30, Il Lombardia highlights, Eurosport 2/Eurosport 2HD

Quick-Step Floors’ Julian Alaphilippe has pulled out of Il Lombardia due to fatigue after a long and successful season.

The Frenchman, who was one of the pre-race favourites, said exhaustion has set in after the World Championships in Innsbruck and has ended his season a few days early.

Speaking with French newspaper L’Equipe Alaphilippe, who finished second in the final Monument of the season last year, said: “I felt really tired after the Worlds.

>>> Il Lombardia 2018 start list

“Despite the fact that I would have loved to ride in Italy this week, especially during the Tour of Lombardy that I finished second in last year, this is the right decision to take.”

The 26-year-old’s has ridden a fantastic season , picking up 12 wins between February and September.

His season started strong with a win on stage four of the Colombia Oro y Paz in the early season.

This was followed up by a double stage win in the Tour of the Basque Country on stages one and two.

Alaphilippe continued his winning form into the spring Classics, taking the top step in La Flèche Wallone in April.

His biggest victories came in the summer, as the Frenchman won stage four of the Critérium du Dauphiné. This was quickly followed by two stages of the Tour de France and the polkadot jersey in Paris.

Carrying his outstanding form from the Tour, Alaphilippe won the Bristol stage of the Tour of Britain and was strong enough on the Whinlatter Pass queen stage to secure the overall win in September.

Less than two weeks later he took on the Tour of Slovenia, winning the first road stage after the prologue and securing another general classification victory.

Alaphilippe went into the World Championship road race as one of the big favourites for the rainbow stripes.

As his climbing rivals slipped away over the brutal day’s racing in Innsbruck, the Frenchman kept himself in contention and out of trouble.

But the final savage climb proved too severe even for Alaphilippe, who was dropped as the winning group went clear.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) took the win that day as the best man out of a four-up sprint.

But Alaphilippe was able to grind over the final climb of the day and finish in eighth – another strong performance.

The slew of wins for Alaphilippe have now taken their toll, and the Quick-Step rider says he will take some time to rest before preparing for next season.

Alejandro Valverde has unveiled the Movistar rainbow jersey he will wear for the next year.

The Spaniard claimed his first world title in Innsbruck, Austria last month at 38 years old.

He took the rainbow jersey from Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), who won the stripes in three consecutive World Championships – a feat never before accomplished in cycling.

Valverde has now unveiled the Movistar World Championship kit, which he will wear at Il Lombardia on Sunday.

The Endura jersey was first unveiled at the Movistar Bike Festival in Madrid last weekend, where Valverde rode with team-mates.

>>> Peter Sagan reveals Slovakian champion’s jersey after three years in rainbow stripes

La Fiesta de la Bici is a mass participation event held on the streets of the Spanish capital.

Speaking after his World Championship win, Valverde said he would like to race until the Olympic road race in Tokyo, 2020.

The Spaniard said that could be the moment for him to retire.

Valverde will race the Italian Monument Il Lombardia this weekend.

He added that the Tour de France is not on his schedule for 2019, but may focus on the Ardenne Classics and the Giro d’Italia in Spring.

Valverde has opted for a classic World Championship strip, with rainbow bands on the torso, sleeves and collar.

The blue Movistar logo appears just above the stripes on the chest, with the Endura, Canyon and UCI logos above that.

Valverde is expected to ride Tre Valli Varesine in Italy on Tuesday, followed by Milano-Tirano on Wednesday.

He is also expected to ride Gran Piemonte on Thursday before the ‘Classic of the falling leaves’ on Saturday.

Three months after breaking his back in a horrific crash at Il Lombardia, Jan Bakelants has revealed that he has lost a centimetre in height due to his injuries

Ag2r La Mondiale rider Bakelants was one of three riders to crash over a guard-rail on a tricky corner on the descent from the Muro di Sormano at the race in mid-October.

Bakelants suffered broken vertebrae in the crash, having to spend a few days in hospital in Italy before being transferred back to Belgium, and speaking out to criticise some of the treatment he received at the side of the road, even claiming that a race motorbike ran over his leg while he was being attended to by medical staff.

The Belgian rider has now been back on his bike for a few weeks, but wrote on Instagram that he had been struggling with his normal position and that the problem had been blamed on an apparent loss of height caused by injuries sustained in the crash.

"Since my crash I felt my old position wasn’t doing the trick any longer," Bakelants wrote. "As it turned out I got 1cm shorter due to the multiple fractures."

Bakelants is currently back training, albeit with metal rods in his back which are to stay in place for a few months and are apparently intended not to impair his riding.

Ag2r La Mondiale are yet to set a date for Bakelants's return to racing, although he looks likely to miss at least the first few months of the 2018 season.

Laurens De Plus was one of the other riders to crash on the same corner as Bakelants at Il Lombardia, and suffered further injuries when he was hit by a truck while training in South Africa.

De Plus fractured his knee in the crash at Il Lombardia, but on Tuesday was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis and spine following the crash in which team-mate Petr Vakoc also suffered a broken back.

Belgian Laurens De Plus (Quick-Step Floors) says that he is "not at all scared" of racing and descending after a high-speed spectacular crash over a guardrail in Italy's Il Lombardia in October.

On the descent of the Sormano, he overshot a right-hand bend, hit a guardrail and somersaulted into the ravine below. His bicycle remained dangling above as a marker for the fallen rider below.

De Plus, who escaped with only a knee fracture, plans to continue descending as normal when he returns to competition.

"Scared? No not at all. I'm trying to let it go," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "I think that if you start thinking about it, it will affect your entire career.

"I have also trained in groups a few times. Training and competition is something completely different: it may be that it will be difficult in my first race, but I do not expect any problems. I hit the reset button right away.

"I certainly want to return to Lombardia, because that course suits me. I showed that this year too, I only made a stupid mistake in the final."

>>> Quick-Step Floors give update on ‘really lucky’ Laurens De Plus after Il Lombardia crash

The 22-year-old chased lone leader Mickaël Chérel (Ag2r La Mondiale) on the technical Sormano descent with around 35 kilometres to race when the "mistake" happened. Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) later attacked solo to win the monument.

He was one of four cyclists crashing on that bend this October 7. Simone Petilli (UAE Team Emirates), Daniel Martinez (Wilier-Selle Italia) and Jan Bakelants (Ag2r La Mondiale) also fell. Bakelants suffered seven rib fractures and two vertebrae fractures.

"The first three weeks were difficult, but the body of a top athlete and a young healthy person simply recovers faster. I can already climb a bit uphill, so everything will be fine," added De Plus.

"I have regular contact [with Bakelants], we are a bit of fellow sufferers. I often think about him. It is going well for him, which makes me happy. Of course, Jan has a totally different injury and is a bit older, which might be a bit more difficult in his head."

Last week, Bakelants said, "The healing has gone according to plan and I can cycle outside again from January. Soon I will maybe be able to ride on the rollers."

Jan Bakelants is unsure if he will ever race a bike again after breaking his back in a dramatic crash at Il Lombardia three weeks ago, revealing that someone accidentally drove a motorbike over his leg while he was receiving treatment on the road.

Bakelants went over the barrier and into a ravine at the same corner as Laurens De Plus on the descent from the Muro di Sormano, breaking four vertebrae in his back as well as seven ribs.

Now back in Belgium and recovering at home, the Ag2r La Mondiale rider has had a little time to reflect on the crash, criticising some of the treatment that he received at the scene.

>>> How do professional riders spend the off-season?

"I understand that it was not the easiest conditions to work in. They had to put me on a stretcher, but it wasn't done gently," Bakelants told Sporza.

"I think I can say I was lucky enough that nothing serious happened after the fall. All the conditions to make it worse were there.

"When I was on the asphalt again someone wanted a moped. The man was not in control, thinking that he had put his vehicle in neutral, but then went straight on and drove over my leg. I think it's a incredible that this can happen in a WorldTour race.

"I was also surprised that there were no helicopters, the evacuation had to happen with an ambulance. I was very worried, was in shock and had a lot of pain and still had to do a lot of descent in the ambulance. It took a long time."

Watch: Tour de France 2018 route guide

After the crash on October 7, Bakelants was kept in hospital in Italy for a few days, before being transferred back to Belgium, undergoing surgery on his broken vertebrae.

The 31-year-old was then allowed home on Saturday, but said that he would have to wait and see if the operation had been successful, and couldn't be sure if he would ever be able to race again.

"In just a month, they will take new scans and the doctors will be able to tell if the vertebrae have reconnected.

"The doctors are confident, but of course they cannot give a 100 per cent. Now it's up to my body to do what is necessary. Only when that happens can I start planning to get back to my old self again."

Ag2r La Mondiale rider Jan Bakelants and UAE Team Emirates rider Simone Petilli are both recovering in hospital after suffering broken vertebrae in crashes on the same corner as Laurens De Plus at Il Lombardia.

The  riders crashed with 47km remaining on the descent from the Sormano climb, and while De Plus's crash received the most attention as it was caught on camera, Bakelants and Petilli suffered more serious injuries

Bakelants suffered seven fractured ribs and fractures to his first and third lumbar vertebrae, while Petillie suffered concussion, fractures to his skull, vertebrae, right collarbone, and right shoulder blade, and wounds to his right eye.

>>> Laurens De Plus escapes with no serious injuries after horrendous Il Lombardia crash (video)

A statement from Ag2r La Mondiale said that Bakelants did not lose consciousness in the crash and was in a stable condition in hospital in Como.

Belgian broadcaster Sporza reports that the 31-year-old's family have travelled from Belgium to visit him in hospital, as the unstable nature of one of the fractures means that he currently cannot be moved.

As for Petilli, no update has been given on his condition since Saturday.

Quick-Step Floors rider De Ple has now been released from hospital in Italy and is travelling home to receive further examinations in Belgium.

Daniel Martinez (Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia) also reportedly crashed on the same right-hand bend, but only suffered minor injuries.

Quick-Steps Floors rider Laurens De Plus escaped without serious injuries after he suffered a horrendous crash at Il Lombardia, flying over road-side barriers after misjudging a corner.

The second rider on the road on the descent off the Muro di Sormano, De Plus was chasing hard on the technical descent as he attempted to make contact with Mickael Cherel, the lone leader who was 20 seconds ahead.

However disaster struck when the Belgian rider badly misjudged a left-hand corner midway down the descent with 35km left in the race.

>>> Vincenzo Nibali delivers spectacular solo victory at Il Lombardia to delight home crowd

De Plus carried too much speed into the corner, before hitting the breaks, locking up the back wheel, hitting the roadside barriers and going somersaulting over the top and out of view of the cameras.

With his bike flying off in the other direction, the fall looked bad, but thankfully medical services were quickly on the scene with team-mate Dries Devenyns also stopping to help care for his team-mate.

Remarkably De Plus suffered no serious injuries in the crash, and was taken to hospital for further checks.

Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) delivered a home victory for the Italian crowd at Il Lombardia as he attacked on the penultimate climb of the day to take a solo win in Como.

Nibali had bridged across to a move by Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) on the climb to Civiglo, before distancing his French rival on the descent and consolidating his lead on the run in to the final climb.

>>> Five talking points from Il Lombardia

While Pinot was caught on the final small climb to San Fermo della Battaglia, Nibali continued to look strong as he held a comfortable lead to the finish in Como to the delight of the Italian crowds.

Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) took second place after attacking from a chase group on the final climb, while Gianni Moscon (Team Sky) sprinted to third place from a group of the other main contenders.

How it happened

The main break of the day consisted of six riders: Lorenzo Rota (Bardiani-CSF), Matthias Le Turnier (Cofidis), Pier Paolo De Negri (Nippo Vini Fantini), Lennard Hofstede (Team Sunweb), Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (Dimension Data), and Davide Ballerini (Androni-Sidermec), who took a little while to get away, but eventually opened their lead to a maximum of 12 minutes on the rolling first half of the 247km race.

Eventually it came down to Bahrain-Merida to begin to bring the lead down, the Middle Eastern team joined by Cannondale-Drapac and Movistar to just 1-17 as the race hit the base of the Madonna del Ghisallo climb with 70km remaining.

The start of the climb saw the start of the attacks, as a group of around eight riders attacked off the front of the peloton, which promptly split itself as Laurens de Plus (Quick-Step Floors) and Mickael Cherel (Ag2r La Mondiale) went on alone to mop up the disintegrating break, catching the last of the early escapees, Le Turnier, at the top of the climb.

That trio grew their lead on the descent towards the Muro di Sormano as a few more riders jumped out of the peloton to form an intermediate chase group, although with little more than a minute separating the peloton from the front of the race.

On to the Sormano and gesticulating at De Plus for not cooperating, Cherel accelerated to go solo at the front of the race. However the chasing group was going backwards as the peloton upped the pace behind, with Roglic the only rider able to put up much resistance, and was the last to be caught as the 25 per cent slopes really made themselves felt.

However Cherel was looking surprisingly fresh, cresting the climb with a 25-second lead over De Plus, with the peloton another 30-seconds back as they went on to the descent with 50km remaining.

The descent was technical and Cherel had a few close run-ins with the barriers, before De Plus had a disastrous moment as he took too much speed into a left-hand bend and went over the barriers, disappearing over the side of the road.

>>> Laurens De Plus escapes with no serious injuries after horrendous Il Lombardia crash (video)

Medical services were quickly on the scene to tend to De Plus, and the rest of the riders safely made it back down onto valley roads with only Cherel left in the lead 50 seconds ahead of the peloton.

The next 20km were largely flat, but that didn't deter another attack from the peloton as Philipp Gilbert (Quick-Step Floors) accelerated clear with Alessandro De Marchi (BMC Racing), who were then joined by Pello Bilbao (Astana) to form a three-man group 20 seconds ahead of the peloton.

That group worked well together to catch Cherel, but the peloton was working hard behind with FDJ keeping the pressure on ahead of Astana and Bahrain-Merida.

FDJ continued to set the pace on the early slopes of the next climb to Civiglo as Cherel dropped back from the break, before the rest of the escapees were caught with 19km remaining in the race.

However the race didn't stay together for long as Gianni Moscon (Team Sky) tried to force the next selection with all of the main contenders forced to react. The Italian was quickly marked but Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) then made another move that looked more decisive.

The Frenchman quickly opened a sizeable gap, but that was made short work of by Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) who powered across from an elite chasing group.

Nibali led onto another technical descent and immediately started to push hard as he tried to distance Pinot, opening a lead of a seven seconds by the time the road flattened out with 10km remaining, and the chasing group another 40 seconds further back.

The final climb started with eight kilometres remaining and as the riders in the chase group refused to cooperate, the victory look set to be contested between Nibali and Pinot.

>>> Five talking points from Il Lombardia

Both men were on their limit, but it was Nibali who was able to edge ahead second by second, cresting the final climb with a comfortable advantage.

Behind the attacks were still flying as Fabio Aru (Astana), Nairo Quintana (Movistar), and Diego Rosa (Team Sky) all tried their luck, but it was Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) who was able to catch Pinot by the top of the climb.

Alaphilippe pushed on on the descent, but he was riding for second place as Nibali enjoyed a solo victory in Como to the delight of the home crowds.

Nibali crossed the line to take the 50th win of his professional career 31 seconds ahead of Alaphilippe, while Gianni Moscon won the sprint for third place.

Result

Il Lombardia 2017, Bergamo to Como (247km)

1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, in 6-15-29

2. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Floors, at 28 secs

3. Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky, at 38 secs

4. Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale

5. Thibaut Pinot (Fra) FDJ

6. Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r La Mondiale

7. Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, all at same time

8. Mikel Nieve (Esp) Team Sky, at 40 secs

9. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, at 42 secs

10. Sergei Chernetski (Rus) Astana, at 47 secs

Tom Dumoulin will not take part in Saturday's Il Lombardia after falling ill.

The Dutchman's Team Sunweb outfit issued a brief statement on Friday saying that Dumoulin was suffering with flu-like symptoms.

"Tom has woken up with flu and a sore throat and we have made the decision to take him out of the race," said Sunweb doctor Anko Boelens. "He will need a few days of rest to be able to fully recover.”

Dumoulin posted on Twitter: "Unfortunate that my season ends this way, but when the body speaks, you better listen. Finally time for some rest and reflection!"

Dumoulin was one of the star riders going into the final Monument of the 2017 season, leaving the squad to rearrange its tactics. Laurens Ten Dam will take Dumoulin's spot in the line-up.

>>> Dan Martin: ‘You see riders who are really strong but they just don’t have the legs’

"With Tom not starting tomorrow we miss one of our leaders so we have taken another look at our tactical plan for the race," said Sunweb coach Aike Visbeek.

"Although with such a strong line-up we are confident that we will end our time in Italy on a high."

Frenchman Warren Barguil will spearhead Sunweb's assault on the 247-kilometre race from Bergamo to Como.

"Warren remains our leader for the race and both Wilco [Kelderman] and Sam [Oomen] will now stay focused on supporting him for the final," said Visbeek.

"After a strong ride at yesterday’s Milano-Torino, we would also like to have Chris [Hamilton] together with Laurens to help positioning the guys in the front. After doing a course recon we have seen that this is a really demanding course and we look forward to a challenging day tomorrow.”

Leading contenders for Il Lombardia include Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Fabio Aru (Astana), Michal Kiwatkowski (Team Sky), Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ), Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) and Adam Yates (Orica-Scott).

Dumoulin's withdrawal means that his last race for 2017 was Thursday's Milano-Torino, where he was among the non-finishers.

Dan Martin says that he goes in Saturday's Il Lombardia in good shape, despite fracturing his back during the Tour de France, which he reflects was "not the best thing I could have done".

The Irishman of Quick-Step Floors counts Il Lombardia as one of the trickiest races to get right, with a tough route and its position so late in the season when riders are inevitably battling fatigue. The signs were good after he placed 11th in Milano-Torino on Thursday.

"On paper you see riders who are really, really strong but they just don’t have the legs anymore," Martin said in an interview for the Velon website.

"And October is unpredictable on an individual basis - you can feel good one day and terrible the next. The cycling season is getting longer and that fatigue from the whole season counts."

Martin won Il Lombardia in 2014, and says that he benefitted from an enforced mid-season break that year after injury.

>>> Il Lombardia 2017: Latest news and race info

"The year I won Lombardia, I’d broken my collarbone in May and had two months off, so I had that freshness. A lot of people put it down to motivation but a lot of the time, the body says no. That’s just the way it goes."

This season, Martin suffered from injury again after post-Tour de France scans revealed that he had fractured two vertebrae as a result of crashing on stage nine. Despite the injury, he carried on to the finish in Paris. He took time out after the Tour to recover, and says that he is very nearly back in top form.

Watch: Tour de France stage nine highlights

"The fracture is healed, it’s just the muscles have got a lot of memory of what happened," said Martin.

"Obviously forcing them for two weeks [at the Tour] with a broken back is not the best thing I could have done. It’s going to take a while but we’re getting there, and I’m getting the power back, and looking forward to Saturday."

Martin ranks among the leading favourites for the 2017 edition of Il Lombardia. He will face stiff competition from home favourites Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) and Fabio Aru (Astana), and the likes of Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac), Adam Yates (Orica-Scott), Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb), Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) and a host of other top names as befits the prestigious Monument.

Il Lombardia will be Martin's final big event for Quick-Step Floors as he moves to UAE Team Emirates for 2018.

History

Although the Il Lombardia has perhaps been tinkered with more so than cycling’s other oldest Monuments, there are a few constants that ensure the race’s line to its vast history and tradition remains.

Firstly, there’s the fact that it continues to be held at the end of the season in autumn, ensuring its nickname of ‘race of the falling leaves’ stays relevant.

>>> Il Lombardia live TV guide

This helps maintain the race’s clearly identifiable nature, specifically its crisp cold climate and the autumnal hue of the Lombardy landscape.

Secondly, there’s the Madonna del Ghisallo, a climb that has not been used for nearly 100 hundred years having first made an appearance in the 1919 edition.

Featuring a chapel, statues of cycling legends and, more recently, a cycling museum, the summit is something of a mecca for cycling fans, even if it isn’t the most difficult of climbs. Ramps of over nine per cent on its lower slopes and again near the peak are placated by a gentler middle section.

Climbed with over 60km left to ride, it’s too far away from the finish to have a decisive impact as to the final standings, but nonetheless remains a crucial ingredient to the character of the race, and a sight for all cycling fans to relish.

Muro di Sormano

Recent editions of the Il Lombardia have alternated between starts and finishes in Como and Bergamo. This year, it’s the turn of Como to host the finish, which means the deadly Muro di Sormano is back on the menu.

>>> Il Lombardia start list

If the Madonna del Ghisallo is likely to be a softening up process, the Muro di Sormano that immediately follows it will be where the race is likely to burst into life.

‘Muro’ translates as ‘wall’, and it’s clear to see why considering just how steep it is - it’s a dramatic landmark which, at its very steepest, ramps up in almost a straight line.

The vital stats indicating an average gradient of over 15 per cent across 2km confirm what the eye suspects - that this is one of the steepest climbs the riders will have to face all season.

San Fermo della Battaglia

The Muro di Sormano might be the hardest climb of the race, but the positioning of the San Fermo della Battaglia ensures that it will be the most important.

Aside from the bold chancers who make earlier moves - perhaps on the Muro di Sormano, or, as Vincenzo Nibali did to in the 2015 edition, on the preceding Civiglio ascent - most of the favourites will be riding with the aim of being as fresh possible for this climb, which peaks at just 5.4km from the finish.

The earlier climbing should ensure that a very select group will make it to the foot of the San Fermo della Battaglia together, but the final, definitive race-winning attack will likely be made here. This was the case in 2012, when Philippe Gilbert dropped Michele Scarponi to win a stormy edition.

Sky vs Quick-Step Floors

Looking at the provisional start list for Il Lombardia, two teams stand out as the strongest, and it’s the same two teams that have starred throughout the season - Sky and Quick-Step Floors.

Both teams boast such strength in depth that it is difficult to identify a clear leader for each.

Michal Kwiatkowski could be the best candidate for Sky given all the Classics he’s already won this year, but there are also options in Wout Poels (who won the comparable Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2016), the soon to depart Mikel Landa, and Diego Rosa, who has a record of excelling at this race having played a star role in support of Vincenzo Nibali’s victory two years ago, and narrowly finished second last year.

For Quick-Step, it’s a choice between two-time former winner Philippe Gilbert, 2014 victor Dan Martin, or Julian Alaphilippe, who impressed so much with his attack on the last lap of World Championships road race.

Expect to see these two teams controlling the race, and locked in a evenly-matched battle as they use their vast resources to attempt to wear the other out.

Vincenzo Nibali

If Sky and Quick-Step Floors are the strongest teams in the race, the strongest rider might just be Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain Merida).

Nibali has proven pedigree at this race, having won last time the route went in this direction (in 2015).

As an Italian, he also has added motivation to perform well in front of his adoring home support, and should be in very good shape. Unlike many of the other favourites, he skipped the World Championships with the prioritised intention of peaking for this race.

The Giro dell’Emilia at the weekend seemed to confirm this, and also suggested that Bahrain-Merida are well-prepared - they took responsibility of controlling the race, and set up Giovanni Visconti for victory, while Nibali marked the chasers and finished second to complete a one-two.

Whatever happens, the devotion of the tifosi and his blockbuster style of racing should ensure that all eyes will be directed towards Nibali on Saturday.

A climber’s Classic

Whereas the other Monument defined by its difficult hills, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, has become less selective in recent years,  Il Lombardia remains a race where the wheat is comprehensively separated from the chaff.

The climbs and considerable distance (247km) continue to be tough enough to ensure that the race is blown to pieces, to the point where five of the past seven editions have been won by solo attackers.

Tellingly, the start list is full of climbers, specifically the kind of climbers who in most Classics would be beaten by punchier, more explosive riders.

Among those gunning for victory are former podium finishers Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac), Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Rafal Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe), Italian hopefuls Fabio Aru (Astana) and Domenico Pozzovivo (Ag2r-La Mondiale), and Giro winners Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) and Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

The one to watch for British fans could be Adam Yates (Orica-Scott), whose mixture of diesel engine climbing and punchy attacks ought to make him perfect for this kind of parcours, on the provision that he has picked some late season form.

Esteban Chaves has been forced to end his 2017 season early after fracturing his right shoulder blade as a result of a crash during the Giro dell’Emilia in Italy on Saturday.

The 27-year-old Colombian spent the night in hospital as a precaution after sustaining what his Orica-Scott team called a "heavy hit to the head" when he crashed in the final 10km of the race. Brain scans were clear but X-rays revealed the shoulder blade fracture.

Chaves will now miss Il Lombardia on Saturday, October 7, and will not be able to defend his 2016 win in the prestigious race.

"This is not how I wanted to finish my 2017 season, especially without the opportunity to return to Lombardia after such special memories last year, but this is the way it is and we now focus on the recovery and next season,” said Chaves.

>>> Il Lombardia 2017: Latest news and race info

“It’s just a bone and there are much bigger challenges in life, we are lucky. We will return from this and I’m looking forward to a new year in 2018."

Orica-Scott doctor Matteo Beltemacchi said that Chaves will have to recuperate for over two weeks, but that he will make a full recovery ahead of next season.

"It’s not necessary for an operation on this type of fracture, but he will require approximately 15 days’ rest with his right arm immobilised before some therapy to re-strengthen the region," said Beltemacchi.

“It will finish his 2017 early, but will not have an effect on his 2018 preparations."

Giovanni Visconti (Bahrain-Merida) won the Giro dell’Emilia ahead of team-mate Vincenzo Nibali, with Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) in third.