The 2022 cycling season is not over yet, with the final Monument of the year, Il Lombardia still to come on October 8. Also known as the ‘race of the falling leaves’, Il Lombardia serves as one of the final opportunities for riders to secure a landmark result this year. Since the first edition of the race in 1905, Il Lombardia has become known as one of the toughest one-day races of the season, described as a climber’s classic thanks to the demanding course and technical descents.
This year, we’ll see the likes of Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard go head to head on the roads between Bergamo and Como, with plenty of climbing to contend with on the way – most notably the famous Madonna del Ghisallo climb in the race’s finale. The likes of Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde will also use this autumn Monument as the final race of their respective careers, and they will want to end things on a high.
Read on for all the details of the course, the main contenders, plus Rouleur’s prediction of the winner.
Route and map
This year’s edition of Il Lombardia is longer than in 2021, with a total distance of 253km and 4800 metres of elevation gain. The race starts in Bergamo and skirts inland before passing Lake Como and finishing in the town of Como. The first part of the route is incredibly mountainous, with the opening climb, the Forcella di Bianzano, coming after just 23 kilometres of racing (it is 6.4 kilometres long at 5% average gradient.) This climb is quickly followed by the Passo di Ganda, 9.2km at an average of 7.3%.
The riders then face another short climb to the town of Dossena, before a steep descent that takes them to a duo of climbs: the Forcella di Bur, and then the Colle di Berbenno. The first of these is the longest, with the Forcella di Bur spanning 18.2 kilometres, but the average gradient is mild at just 2.5% average. The Colle di Berbenno which follows is only 4.5km long but tougher than its predecessor at 6.2%.
After these climbs, the peloton dive down into Brambilla to face the Colle di Berbenno which spans for 4.5 kilometres at an average gradient of 6.2%. At the top of this climb, there is still 130 kilometres of racing remaining.
For the next 80 kilometres, the route begins to get flatter and we can expect to see a slight lull in the action at this point. The peloton will skirt along the stunning shores of Lago di Garlate and Lago di Como until they reach Bellagio which marks the start of the final…