The 116th edition of Il Lombardia, the fifth and final Monument of the 2022 cycling season, will take place on Saturday, 8 October. The 253km route runs from Bergamo to Como, Italy. It is a one-day race that is long, hard, and crammed full of enough climbing to weed out all but the very best by the finish.

The Racers

Some of the very best in cycling will be at the starting line to compete.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE) will be on everyone’s short list for taking first place on the podium. The brilliant Slovenian rider can handle all terrains with power and stamina. He is a multiple Grand Tour winner who seemingly wins at will and he’s been enjoying a successful season in 2022. In fact, his only significant missed opportunity this season was a second-place finish to a dynamite Dane in the Tour de France.

It was Jonas Vingegaard (TJV) who surprised even his own teammates by finishing in first-place at the Tour de France this year. Not that his talent was ever in doubt, but most projected Primoz Roglic as team leader and GC-favorite. When Roglic ran into some injury bad luck, however, his chances were eclipsed by the rising star of Vingegaard. Look for the Dane to make a statement that he is still the man to beat in a head-to-head battle with Pogačar.

Enric Mas (MOV) is also a racer to watch. He earned a second-place finish at La Vuelta and he must be in fine form to have beaten Pogacar recently at the Giro dell’Emilia. Julian Alaphillipe (QST) is a world class rider with the punch to take on the best in the mountains, especially if it’s just a one-day affair. The Frenchman has been bitten by the injury bug (really, smacked in the face by the crash cougar) a number of times this season – can he shake it off for the final Monument of the year?

The sentimental lot will be watching proud veterans Alejandro Valverde (MOV) and Vincenzo Nibali (AST) race their final Il Lombardia, each set to retire at the close of the season. Both are fierce competitors on two wheels who won Monuments and more in their day, but it’s difficult seeing them steal it from the younger legs in the peloton.

The Course

The 253km course offers a series of tough climbs, which can be analyzed in two chunks with a 60km or so lull in the middle.

The first series of climbs starts after a 20km flat. The riders will face the following climbs, in order: Forcellino di Bianzano (29.7km), Ganda (49.6km), Dossena (69.6km), Forcella di Bura (105.1km), and the Colle di Berbenno (120.6km). Modern riders will push the pace to see if they can hop out to an early lead and gain some time in the mountain passes. But, unless something goes catastrophically wrong in the first series (always a possibility in cycling), all the key contenders will find their way back together during the 60km lull. The first series of climbs may not introduce significant time gaps among the riders, but it will tire out enough legs in the peloton to make the critical moves in the second series of climbs decisive.

After the midrace lull the uphill action resumes with the fierce ascent up the Maddona del Ghisallo.

The Madonna del Ghisallo is a two-level climb that will punch the peloton in the stomach after the 60km lull. Those riders who might not have the form they thought they did coming into the race may lose enthusiasm, anticipating the second series of climbs ahead. The hill and dale between this climb and the final trio of climbs will give the riders with punch in their legs a chance to pull away.

An interesting feature of this year’s Il Lombardia is the final loop around the region of Como to finish the race. The riders will climb San Fermo della Battaglia twice, with Civiglio sandwiched in between, before sprinting into Como.

San Fermo della Battaglia averages a gradient of 7.2%, but note the steeper stretch towards the climax. It provides a good opportunity for riders with a little extra kick to make a break for it near the top when everyone around them is at their most tired. At this point in the race the right break, whether solo or a small group, could be defended until the finish, if everything comes out correct.

Civiglio is in the middle of the final trio of climbs. If any riders made a break for it on the first time up San Fermo della Battaglia, they better have good stamina to maintain their lead up the punishing Civiglio, which boasts yet another steep section toward the top. This time the gradients push into the 14% range. It’s another point at which the elastic could snap between the good and great riders on the day.

After another climb up San Fermo della Battaglia, it’s a race into Como. If there’s no decisive solo breakaway, then the hard left turn into the final 750m could be all important. Riders will want a good position on the turn to set themselves up for the final sprint finish. After 253km of racing, we won’t expect record-breaking velocities across the finish line. But you only need to be the fastest man remaining to win the 2022 edition of the historic Monument Il Lombardia.

For more information, visit the official Il Lombardia website.

Preview: Il Lombardia 2022

The Racers

The Course

Tadej Makes It Two

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