Male Team 13 Oct
Il Lombardia
241 Kilometers
The 2018 European cycling season will come to its close with the fifth and final Monument classic, the only one held in the autumn. The biggest change in Il Lombardia’s route this year has been caused by rockfall over the San Fermo climb, usually the last in the route and now scrapped, giving full protagonism to the Ghisallo – Sormano – Civiglio trio.
However, to get to those three, the riders will have to cover more than four hours of racing. The 241km course from Bergamo to Como starts with long, flat roads and only three significant climbs: the Colle Gallo (54km; seven kilometers at 6%), the Colle Brianza (113km) and Valbrona (157km). After the latter, a brief descent will lead the peloton to the foot of Madonna del Ghisallo (180km), divided into four tough kilometers at 9% to start; three in the middle, with false flats and slight downhill; and a final 2km at 9.5%.
A short descent will take the peloton into the Colma di Sormano (5km at 6.6%) and, right after that, the brutal Muro di Sormano: 1.9 kilometers at a whopping 15.8% average, with points at 25/27%. A first place to really see the race shaking up, yet located still 48km away from the end. Two climbs closer to the finish will decide the race: Civiglio (-13km), with four kilometers at 9.7%, and the Monte Olimpino (-3.2km), with 1,700 meters at nearly 6% average.