Il Lombardia

The ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’ returns in 2021 to its original, autumn slot, and will practically take the curtains down to the men’s Movistar Team’s season -only the Coppa Agostoni will be left, two days later-, with a considerably modified route from previous years as the finish is back to Bergamo, with the tough finishing slope of Città Alta. This city will replace Como, which will again host the finish -with Bergamo as start- of a race which has signed contracts with both to combine their appearances as partenza and arrivo of the last Monument of the season.

The climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron virgin of all riders, will be tackled at the beginning of the 239km route, through its least difficult side. After this, seven other ascents will be faced, with five significant ones. Roncola (9.4km, 6.6%) and Berbenno (almost 7km at 5%), halfway through the route, will be followed, inside the lasr two hours of racing, by Dossena (11km, 6.2%) / Zambla Alta; the Passo di Ganda (9.2km at 7,3%; summit with 32km to go); and the Bergamo Alta slope, crested just 3km from the end.