Il Lombardia returns to Como: the 120th edition finishes in piazza Cavour on Saturday October 10
From Bergamo to the lakefront after 239 kilometres and nine climbs: the season's last Monument Classic will be decided in Como. Road closures in the city start Thursday evening, with tow-away no-parking zones on Saturday and a Fan Zone in piazzale Santa Teresa.
Translated from the Italian original. Leggi in italiano
Como is back as the capital of great cycling. On Saturday October 10, the 120th edition of Il Lombardia, the season's last Monument Classic, starts in Bergamo at 10:45 am and finishes on Como's lakefront after 239 kilometres, nine climbs and about 4,600 metres of elevation gain. The finish line is set in piazza Cavour, where the peloton is expected in the late afternoon.
The route from Bergamo to the Lario
After the start in Bergamo, the group heads toward Val Seriana and tackles the long series of Prealps climbs: Colle dei Pasta, Selvino, Colle di Berbenno and Valpiana. The race then crosses Alta Brianza over Colle Brianza before descending toward Lecco. From there the riders follow Lake Como to Bellagio, where one of the race's signature ascents begins: the climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo, patroness of cyclists since 1949. After the descent, the group continues toward Maglio, Canzo, Albese con Cassano and Tavernerio, approaching the closing 22-kilometre circuit between San Fermo della Battaglia, Civiglio and the lakefront.
The favourites without Pogacar
After five consecutive triumphs, the dominator of recent editions will be missing: Tadej Pogacar, sidelined by a crash at the recent Vuelta a España. The hunt for his successor lists among the favourites world champion Brandon McNulty and his teammate Isaac Del Toro, European champion Remco Evenepoel (twice runner-up in the past) with Primoz Roglic as backup, MTB world champion Tom Pidcock, world championship runner-up Michael Matthews, European championship runner-up Giulio Ciccone and young French talent Paul Seixas. Italians in contention include Christian Scaroni, Davide Piganzoli and Giulio Pellizzari. Twenty-five teams will start; for Bauke Mollema, the 2019 winner, it will be the last race of his career. Team presentation: Friday October 9, 5 pm, Sentierone in Bergamo.
Roads: what closes and when
The local police ordinance redraws city traffic for three days. The first restrictions took effect on Thursday October 8 at 7 pm in piazza Cavour, where the finish structures were installed: no-transit and no-parking rules until the end of the event on Saturday. Changes also in via Fontana, via Cairoli and piazza Grimoldi, with restrictions from Friday morning to Saturday evening. On Lungo Lario Trento and Lungo Lario Trieste the preferential lane stays closed from 2 pm on Friday October 9 to 10 pm on Saturday October 10; on Saturday the closure extends to all lanes from 3 to 7 in the morning and from noon to 10 pm for the finish setup.
On race day, Saturday October 10, from 10 am a tow-away no-parking ban applies along the entire route, on both sides of the road, including stalls reserved for residents and people with disabilities. From 3:45 pm, as the caravan enters the municipal territory (expected between 3:45 and 4:17 pm), a transit ban takes effect until the end-of-race vehicle passes: while the riders go through, even crossing the road on foot will not be allowed. The finish is indicatively expected between 4:40 and 5:20 pm, depending on the group's average speed.
Restrictions also around the Sinigaglia stadium, which will host team buses and technical vehicles: parking bans in viale Vittorio Veneto from noon on Friday, in viale Puecher from 9 am on Saturday and in via Masia from Thursday evening. In piazzale Santa Teresa the no-parking ban runs from 1 pm on Friday to 10 pm on Saturday: here on Saturday from 10 am the free-entry Fan Zone opens, with a big screen, music and bicycle parking, at a spot offering two views of the riders on the final circuit. The closures will also affect buses, with alternative routes and possible temporary stop suspensions.
A weekend of great sport
Il Lombardia headlines a weekend that will bring thousands of people to Como: at the same time the 77th Centomiglia del Lario powerboat race runs on the lake and the Sinigaglia stadium hosts the Serie A match between Como and Roma. The city has urged residents and visitors to plan their movements ahead. The race will be broadcast live on Rai Sport HD from 10:35 am and on Rai 2 from 2 pm, as well as on Eurosport, Discovery+ and HBO Max; RTL 102.5 is the event's official radio.
