108th IL Lombardia: Sunday, October 5

The 108th Il Lombardia, from Como to Bergamo across 254km, will be held on Sunday, October 5th. The UCI WorldTour race is organized by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport.

At the Bergamo finish line the challenge will be on between the new UCI Road World Champion, Michal Kwiatkowski, and the other Ponferrada protagonists, including Alejandro Valverde, Philippe Gilbert, Tony Gallopin and Fabio Aru. The other big names taking part are Joaquim Rodriguez, winner of the last two editions of the race, Alberto Contador, winner of the recent Vuelta a España and French riders Jean Christophe Peraud and Thibaut Pinot, respectively second and third in the overall classification at this year Tour de France.

THE ROUTE
Taking in over 3,000m of climbing, the race will start in Como, the autumn classic will take in the villages of Cantù, Erba, Asso and Onno before hitting Bellagio at 58km and the start of the Madonna del Ghisallo (754m), a beautiful and challenging 10.6km climb with gradients over 14 per cent.

The race will then continue through Asso, Pusiano, Oggiono, Galbiate and the first feeding zone at Pescate before the Alta Brianza and Meratese areas and into the Bergamo province in Calusco d’Adda.

After a first passage through the city of Bergamo, the race will begin a loop back with a series of testing climbs that will decide the final winner.

Riders will then face the Colle dei Pasta (413m), Colle Gallo (763m) and, after the second feeding zone in Cene, the Passo di Ganda (1060m), which featured in the 18th stage of Giro 2011.

After a fast descent through Selvino and Rigosa towards the bottom of the valley, the road will climb back towards Bracca (600m) and take in the technical descent towards Zogno and Brembilla. Riders will then begin the classic climb of Berbenno (695m), just 26km from the finish.

A fast descent towards Almenno San Salvatore takes the riders through Almè and back to Bergamo to face the final kilometres through the old Città Alta to the finish on the Sentierone.

FINAL KILOMETERS
The route to the finish line climbs towards Bergamo Alta, entering at Porta Garibaldi, up the Boccola ascent and its 200m of cobblestones towards Largo Colle Aperto, a climb that doesn’t drop below 10%, and includes peaks of 12%. The final descent is wide with a flat surface.

The final two kilometers takes in three technical turns, a 90 degree bend at 1800m with the road narrowing under Porta Sant’Agostino, a left turn at 1000m and at 250m from the line, driving towards the grand finale.

THE TEAMS
25 teams, 18 UCI ProTeams and 7 wildcards will start, each with 8 riders:
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA) – Peraud and Betancur
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI - VENEZUELA (ITA) – Pellizzotti e Rosa
ASTANA PRO TEAM (KAZ) – Aru and Scarponi
BARDIANI CSF (ITA) – Battaglin and Pirazzi
BELKIN-PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED) – Kelderman and Mollema
BMC RACING TEAM (USA) – Gilbert and Van Garderen
CAJA RURAL - SEGUROS RGA (ESP) – L.L. Sanchez and Arroyo
CANNONDALE (ITA) – Basso and De Marchi
COLOMBIA (COL) – Duarte and Quintero
FDJ.fr (FRA) – Pinot and Roy
GARMIN SHARP (USA) – Hesjedal and Martin
IAM CYCLING (SUI) – Brandle and Pineau
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITA) – Rui Costa and Bono
LOTTO BELISOL (BEL) – Gallopin and Wellens
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP) – Valverde and Visconti
NERI SOTTOLI (ITA) – Ponzi and Taborre
OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP CYCLING TEAM (BEL) – Kwiatkowski and Uran
ORICA GreenEDGE (AUS) – Albasini and Yates
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA) – Gautier and Cousin
TEAM GIANT-SHIMANO (NED) – Barguil and Dumoulin
TEAM KATUSHA (RUS) – Rodriguez and Moreno
TEAM NETAPP - ENDURA (GER) – Konig and Machado
TEAM SKY (GBR) – Cataldo and Swift
TINKOFF-SAXO (RUS) – Contador and Zaugg
TREK FACTORY RACING (USA) – F. Schleck and Arredondo

RECENT WINNERS – LAST 10 EDITIONS
2004 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2005 – Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2006 – Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2007 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2008 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2009 – Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2010 – Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2011 – Oliver Zaugg (SUI)
2012 – Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP)
2013 – Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP)

Photo: LaPresse

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.

IL LOMBARDIA 2014: New 254km Route, Over 3,000 m of Climbing

Details of the 108th Il Lombardia were announced this morning, with the race running over a completely revised, 254km route between Como and Bergamo.

The UCI WorldTour road cycling race, held on the 5th of October and organized by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, will also take in over 3,000m of climbing.

25 teams of 8 riders have also been announced for the"Race of the Falling Leaves" ("classica delle foglie morte"); the race is one of the five "monuments" of the one day classics.

THE ROUTE
Starting in Como, the autumn classic will take in the villages of Cantù, Erba, Asso and Onno before hitting Bellagio at 58km and the start of the Madonna del Ghisallo (754m), a beautiful and challenging 10.6km climb with gradients over 14 per cent.

The race will then continue through Asso, Pusiano, Oggiono, Galbiate and the first feeding zone at Pescate before the Alta Brianza and Meratese areas and into the Bergamo province in Calusco d’Adda.

After a first passage through the city of Bergamo, the race will begin a loop back with a series of testing climbs that will decide the final winner.

Riders will then face the Colle dei Pasta (413m), Colle Gallo (763m) and, after the second feeding zone in Cene, the Passo di Ganda (1060m), which featured in the 18th stage of Giro 2011.

After a fast descent through Selvino and Rigosa towards the bottom of the valley, the road will climb back towards Bracca (600m) and take in the technical descent towards Zogno and Brembilla. Riders will then begin the classic climb of Berbenno (695m), just 26km from the finish.

A fast descent towards Almenno San Salvatore takes the riders through Almè and back to Bergamo to face the final kilometres through the old Città Alta to the finish on the Sentierone.

FINAL KILOMETERS
The route to the finish line climbs towards Bergamo Alta, entering at Porta Garibaldi, up the Boccola ascent and its 200m of cobblestones towards Largo Colle Aperto, a climb that doesn’t drop below 10%, and includes peaks of 12%. The final descent is wide with a flat surface.

The final two kilometers takes in three technical turns, a 90 degree bend at 1800m with the road narrowing under Porta Sant’Agostino, a left turn at 1000m and at 250m from the line, driving towards the grand finale.

THE TEAMS
25 teams, 18 UCI ProTeams and 7 wildcards will start, each with 8 riders:

AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA)
ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI - VENEZUELA (ITA)
ASTANA PRO TEAM (KAZ)
BARDIANI CSF (ITA)
BELKIN-PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
BMC RACING TEAM (USA)
CAJA RURAL - SEGUROS RGA (ESP)
CANNONDALE (ITA)
COLOMBIA (COL)
FDJ.fr (FRA)
GARMIN SHARP (USA)
IAM CYCLING (SUI)
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITA)
LOTTO BELISOL (BEL)
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP)
NERI SOTTOLI (ITA)
OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK-STEP CYCLING TEAM (BEL)
ORICA GreenEDGE (AUS)
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA)
TEAM GIANT-SHIMANO (NED)
TEAM KATUSHA (RUS)
TEAM NETAPP - ENDURA (GER)
TEAM SKY (GBR)
TINKOFF-SAXO (RUS)
TREK FACTORY RACING (USA)

RECENT WINNERS – LAST 10 EDITIONS
2004 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2005 – Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2006 – Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2007 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2008 – Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2009 – Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2010 – Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2011 – Oliver Zaugg (SUI)
2012 – Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP)
2013 – Joaquim Rodriguez (ESP)

Content for the Italian Cycling Journal is now based upon contributions from readers. Please contribute. Stories about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.     

Second IL Lombardia Win for Purito Rodriguez

José Joaquín Rodríguez won his second Il Lombardia in as many years this afternoon, thanks to a brilliant solo attack on the Villa Vergano climb. It was a carbon copy of his 2012 win, also in the rain, and brought the Spaniard both revenge for last week’s second place in the World Championships, and provisional World Number One status, with just one more World Tour race left in the 2013 calendar.

Alejandro Valverde was second, and Rafal Majka third.

After the race, Rodríguez spoke to the press:

On victory: “It was a good win for me, in a beautiful race. I’m just enjoying the moment. I always try to look forward. This week hasn’t been easy because the World Championships are World Championships. But I have family and friends who helped me focus on this race, and I’ve come out of it the winner. It was important to prove to myself that I could recover well after World Championships and focus on the next race. This win helps me move towards 2014 knowing that this is my level.”

On Thomas Voeckler’s early solo attack: “I thought he’d make it. It was a good attack.. Trying to make up 3 minutes on Voeckler is difficult. He’s a very dangerous rider when he attacks alone, and he’s done this many times. But my team was exceptional, We set the pace at the front of the bunch and reeled him in.”

On the attack on the Villa Vergano climb: “I knew that if I wanted to win, I had to attack there. It’s October, the race is 240 km long, it was raining and cold, and it was even faster than last year, and you could feel the group was tired. I knew I had to make one decisive attack. I attacked at the right moment although, on the descent, I never trusted the curves in the rain, so the final descent was stressful. It is great to win, and it’s never easy.’

On his 10 second lead, reminiscent of the World Championships a week ago: “That did occur to me. I thought they might catch me. And my radio didn’t work until the final 2km. With those hairpins, you can’t see anything, and you don’t know what is coming, but thankfully nothing went wrong.”

On riding the 2014 Giro: “For me, the Giro is the most beautiful of the three Grand Tours. I always have good form after the classics. Last year I rode well at the Giro, and I think I can do well there again. This week I have felt a great deal of support from Italian cycling fans, and I think they deserve to see me start the Giro in 2014.”

SPECIAL AWARDS
Muro di Sormano climb: (fastest time for Muro di Sormano): Dario Cataldo (Sky) in 9’32” average 11,328 km/h.

Premio Vincenzo Torriani (first rider to complete the Muro di Sormano): Nairo Quintana (Movistar).

Premio Pierluigi Todisco (the first rider to cross the Ghisallo): Thomas Voeckler (Europcar).

Highlights (in Italian):


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107th Edition of IL Lombardia Tomorrow

Tomorrow morning at 10.50, the 107th edition of Il Lombardia departs Largo Porta Nuova, Bergamo, Italy. The ‘Race of the Falling Leaves,’ organized by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, will see the world’s finest on the startline. Among them, the new World Champion, Rui Costa, determined to start his year-long reign with a victory.

The race route, 242km from Bergamo to Lecco, comprises five major climbs: Valico di Valcava, Colle Brianza, Colma di Sormano (with the Muro di Sormano), Madonna del Ghisallo, and Villa Vergano.

Minute of Silence
In common with other Italian sports events this weekend, one minute of silence will be observed prior to the race start, in memory of those lost at sea two days ago off Isola dei Conigli, near Lampedusa.

Contenders
25 teams start the race, 18 World Tour and 7 wild cards. Teams are of 8 riders.

Il Lombardia 2013 will be the first race in the Rainbow Jersey for the new World champion, Rui Costa. The last to win the Race of the Falling Leaves wearing the Rainbow Jersey was Paolo Bettini in 2006.

The winners of no less than seven past editions of Il Lombardia start tomorrow. They are: Damiano Cunego (2004, 2007 and 2008), Philippe Gilbert (2009, 2010), Oliver Zaugg (2011), and reigning champion José Joaquín Rodríguez.

The winner of the Giro d’Italia, Vincenzo Nibali, also takes the start, as does runner-up Rigoberto Urán, third here last year. Multiple grand tour winner Alberto Contador also rides.

Movistar appears to be the team to beat: as well as the new World Champion, Costa, they field Tour de France runner-up Nairo Quintana, Vuelta a España and World Championships podium finisher Alejandro Valverde, and Beñat Intxausti, stage winner and over-night Maglia Rosa during the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

History
First held in 1905, Il Lombardia (formerly the Giro di Lombardia) is the classic which has suffered fewest interruptions: only the 1943 and 1944 editions were suspended, because of the second World War.

Fausto Coppi won a record five editions of Il Lombardia, four of them consecutive: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954. The record for podium finishes is held by Coppi’s great rival, Gino Bartali, with 9: 3 wins, 4 seconds places and 2 thirds. The only non-Italian riders to have won the race three times were Frenchman Henri Pélissier and Irishman Sean Kelly.

Timing for Muro di Sormano
The climb up the Muro di Sormano will be timed. Results will be published after the race finish.

Special Awards
La Gazzetta dello Sport will award two special prizes. The first rider who reaches the Muro di Sormano will be presented with a plaque dedicated to Vincenzo Torriani, the former and long-time director of the Gazzetta races. Torriani first planned the climb up to Colma di Sormano in 1960: Il Lombardia used the road in 1960, 1961 and 1962. The severe gradient (touching 27%), the slope was dubbed ‘il muro’ (the wall).

The Premio Pierluigi Todisco goes to the first rider to cross the Ghisallo. The prize commemorates the Gazzetta journalist Pierluigi Todisco, who was killed in a road traffic accident while cycling to the newspaper’s offices two years ago. It is the second time the award will be presented.


Live Televison and Internet
In Italy the race will be shown live on Rai Sport 2 and Rai Tre. The race will be streamed live on the website www.raisport.it. Real-time news and analysis are provided on www.gazzetta.it.


Worldwide Broadcasting
Il Lombardia will be televised in 156 nations. As well as two hours of live coverage on Eurosport (80 nations in Europe, Asia and the Pacific area), Il Lombardia will be shown in Belgium by the Flemish channel VRT, in the Netherlands by NOS, Switzerland by SRG SSR, and Spain by the FORTE circuit (comprising EITB Euskal Irrati Telebista in Euskadi, TV3 Televisió de Catalunya in Catalonia, TVG Televisión in Galicia, and Televisión del Principado de Asturias (TPA) in Asturias). In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will show prime-time evening highlights.

The channel beIN Sport holds exclusive broadcast rights for France and the United States of America. In the Middle East, Il Lombardia is shown by Al Jazeera. In Canada, English-language coverage is by Sportsnet, and French-language coverage by Réseau des Sports (RDS). In Mexico, Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and El Salvador, Il Lombardia will be covered by Televisa Deportes Network (TDN).

Il Lombardia will be broadcast in Asia by Eurosport Asia Pacific. The other national broadcasters in the Asian area are: J Sports (Japan), Sony TV Six (India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan) and True Visions (Thailand). In Kazakhstan, Khabar TV broadcasts the Giro d’Italia. In Australia SBS confirms the great national enthusiasm for cycling by showing the race live.

Follow on Twitter: ITALIANCYCJOURN or receive an email when new content is added using the "Follow by Email" button on the right side column. With more than 3,000 stories in this blog the custom search feature (right column) works best for finding subjects in the blog. There is also a translate button underneath the search button.

Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.   

2014 IL Lombardia, Sunday October 6th

Exactly a week after the Road World Championships in Florence, won by the Portuguese rider Rui Costa over Spain's Joaquin Rodriguez, a riveting revenge is expected on the road of the 107th edition of Il Lombardia; Rodriquez won last year's Il Lombardia.

The “falling leaves classic”, organised by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, on Sunday 6th October will have the champions of racing pitted against each other. The 242km route from Bergamo to Lecco, will climb the slopes of Valico di Valcava, Colle Brianza, Colma di Sormano (with the mighty Muro di Sormano), Madonna del Ghisallo and Villa Vergano. It’s going to be highly dramatic and hardly fought.

Muro di Sormano from Jered Gruber on Vimeo.

Amongst the provisional starting list, and alongside the last edition’s winner, Joaquin Rodriguez, there are the following big names: the newly crowned World Champion, Portugal’s Rui Costa, Italians Vincenzo Nibali, Ivan Basso, Franco Pellizotti, Damiano Cunego, Michele Scarponi, and Diego Ulissi; British rider Chris Froome; American Tejay Van Garderen; Australian Cadel Evans; the Colombians Carlos Betancur, Rigoberto Uran Uran, and Nairo Quintana; Spanish Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde; France’s Thibaut Pinot and Thomas Voeckler; Holland’s Bauke Mollema and Robert Gesink; Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert and Greg Van Avermaet; Ireland’s Daniel Martin; Slovakia’s Peter Sagan, and Poland’s rider Michal Kwiatkowski.

Begun in 1905, Il Lombardia (previously known as Giro di Lombardia) has taken part every year except for 1943 and 1944 due to the Second World War.

Fausto Coppi has won the largest number of Il Lombardia titles with five in total: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954.

This year's route and profile:

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Stories for the Italian Cycling Journal about rides, granfondos, touring, having a good time cycling in Italy, Italian cycling history, racing, etc. are always welcome. Contact me at veronaman@gmail.com.