The 2025 Giro di Lombardia guarantees to be essentially the most demanding of biking’s 5 Monuments, with a grueling 238 km course and 4,400 meters of climbing from Como to Bergamo. The race’s “simpler” directional route nonetheless options relentless climbs just like the Roncola, Berbenno, Passo della Crocetta, and the decisive Passo di Ganda earlier than a ultimate punchy ascent up the cobbled Colle Aperto. Tadej Pogačar, winner of the final two editions and seemingly unstoppable after dominant wins on the World and European Championships, headlines the contenders.
Pogacar successful in Bergamo in 2023.
A fifth Lombardia victory would place him alongside legends like Fausto Coppi and Eddy Merckx, with these legends seemingly his solely competitors. His key rival stays Remco Evenepoel, constantly second-best in main hilly races, whereas Tom Pidcock, Primož Roglič, and rising star Paul Seixas spherical out a discipline stuffed with expertise. The lead-up Italian races have highlighted each type and fatigue, however with Pogačar concentrating on historical past, the remainder of the peloton could also be battling for second place as soon as once more.
Bergamo’s historical wall make an imposing backdrop to shut out the racing season.
The Course
The 2025 Giro di Lombardia is the toughest on paper of the 5 monuments, at 238 km lengthy with 4,400 meters of climbing; solely Liege-Bastogne-Liege coming shut at 4,300 meters of climbing. This yr’s version traverses the race’s “simpler” route from Como to Bergamo, Italy (the tougher route goes in reverse, with the race altering route annually).
The race begins in Como and shortly (after about 35km of rolling terrain) hits the Madonna del Ghisallo climb from the simpler Asso aspect (8.8km at 3.9%), the climb that shares its fame with the shrine of Madonna del Ghisallo, the patroness of cyclists. The race then descends that iconic hill and heads alongside the shores of Lake Como, the place the intense climbing is paused till the race enters the pre-Alpine hills of the Bergamo area at about 100km into the race.
At that time, the race hits its climb-heavy midsection (which actually extends throughout the ultimate) punctuated by the Roncolo at about 137km to go (9.4km at a mean 6.6%, however with gradients as much as 17% in some sections), the Berbenno at about 109km to go (6.8 km at 4.6%), the Passo della Crocetta at about 76km to go (11km at 6.2%), the Zambia Alta at about 64km to go (9.5km at 3.5%), and the Passo di Ganda at about 32km to go (9km at a mean 7.1%, with quite a lot of steeper sections towards the highest of the climb).
After the race crests the Passo di Ganda, the riders will sweep down a wide ranging 19 switchbacks after which hit a brief 9km flat part earlier than the ultimate climb, the Colle Aperto (about 1.5km at 7.9%, with steep cobbled sections), the highest of which is simply about 3km from the end. From there, the race will go down a quick descent to the end in Bergamo Alta.
Pez rides the bumpy cobbles of the final climb into Bergamo’s Citta Alta on the 2008 Giro d’Italia. This climb is a stinger on the finish of a 250km race.
Earlier Editions
In 2024, with the race operating typically westward from Bergamo to Como, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Group Emirates XRG) attacked on the Colma di Sormano with about 48 km to go and was initially chased by Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Fast-Step), Enric Mas (Movistar), and Lennert van Eevelt (Lotto). Evenepoel attacked the chase group on the descent of the Sormano however continued to lose time to Pogačar, ultimately ending in second place over three minutes down. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) made his method by the chasers to complete third.
Pogačar received in 2023 as properly, attacking with Aleksandr Vlasov (Pink Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) on the Passo di Ganda and dropping him on the descent. Pogačar maintained a spot of a few minute over an elite chase group with Vlasov, Adam Yates (UAE Group Emirates XRG), Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos), Primož Roglič (then with Jumbo-Visma), and Andrea Bagioli (in his final race with Soudal Fast-Step, now at Lidl-Trek). Regardless of reportedly struggling cramps within the ultimate, Pogačar held his hole to the chasers and received by 52 seconds in entrance of Bagioli, with Roglič in third.
The Lead-Up Races – Who’s Scorching This Week
There are a number of Italian hilly one-day races main as much as Lombardia that may present hints as to who’s on type and motivated for the final monument of the season. The Giro dell’Emilia (199km with 2,900 meters of climbing) was held on Saturday, October 4 and was received by Isaac del Toro (UAE Group Emirates XRG), who chased down a solo Tom Pidcock (Q36.5 Professional Biking Group) within the closing meters of the brutal ending climb to San Luca (2.1km at 9.6%, with gradients as much as 20% in locations).
Giro del’Emilia is a becoming heat up for the climbers with a number of ascents over the Santa Christina.
Pidcock held on for second with Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious) taking the dash for third head of Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Roglič (Pink Bull BORA-hansgrohe), Ben Tulett (Group Visma / Lease a Bike), Michael Storer (Tudor Professional Biking Group), and Cian Uijtdebroeks (Group Visma / Lease a Bike, however breaking a second long-term contract to maneuver to Movistar for 2026). Adam Yates (UAE Group Emirates XRG) received the Coppa Agostoni (166km with 3,000 meters of climbing) on Sunday, soloing to the win with 17km to go after his breakaway companion, Carlos Canal (Movistar), flatted however held on to second place forward of Simone Velasco (XDS Astana), who received the dash for third. Pogačar ominously received the Tre Valli Varesine (200km with 3,300 meters of climbing), held on Tuesday, October 7, going solo with 22km to go and increase a lead of a few minute over a 30-man chase group. Albert Withen Philipsen (Lidl-Trek) received the dash for second forward of Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor Professional Biking).
The Contenders
Tadej Pogačar. The Giro di Lombardia at all times appears to come back right down to a mixture of type and motivation, and nobody appears extra in type or extra motivated than Pogačar. His wins on the World Championships and European Championships had been so dominant, launching his solo assaults at 66 km and 76 km to go, respectively, that they amazed regardless of changing into nearly anticipated.
The 2025 Giro di Lombardia course falls in between these two by way of distance and elevation, and, barring misfortune, Pogačar appears nearly unbeatable on such an extended and hilly course. Pogačar may also have his UAE Group Emirates XRG commerce crew at his disposal, which he sometimes employs to set a virtually unattainable tempo within the lead as much as his solo assaults. Pogačar’s win on the Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday reveals that he’s hungry (though reportedly, Pogačar solely raced Tre Valli Varesine to meet a promise to the race organizers after final yr’s race was canceled as a result of heavy rains) even after what looks as if an interminable season with innumerable wins, starting on the UAE Tour in February.
In watching Pogačar, it looks as if he’s racing as a lot towards the legends of the game as he’s towards his opponents; a fifth consecutive il Lombardia win will put Pogačar forward of five-time winner Fausto Coppi (on condition that Coppi received 4 consecutive il Lombardia titles from 1946 – 1949, after which his fifth in 1954) and can match Eddy Merckx’s magical 1971 season, when Merckx received three monuments, the Tour de France, and the World Championship in a single season. With each win, Pogačar cements his place as one of many best racers biking has ever seen.
Remco Evenepoel. Evenepoel completed second to Pogačar on the World Championships and European Championships, each held on demanding circuits, and likewise completed second behind Pogačar on the 2024 Giro di Lombardia and appeared like a frontrunner within the 2023 version till a crash took him out of the operating. In every of those races (and in lots of races the place the 2 champions sq. off), Evenepoel was unable to comply with Pogačar’s preliminary assault, settled right into a small chase group, after which attacked solo to aim to bridge to Pogačar. In so doing, Evenepoel has proven he’s someplace in between the extent of Pogačar and the opposite chasers, and at occasions has been in a position to maintain Pogačar at a constant hole and never lose huge time within the ultimate. If (and it’s an enormous if) Evenepoel can handle to resist Pogačar’s preliminary onslaught he would possibly be capable to contest the win.
Tom Pidcock. With a direct problem to Pogačar seeming unlikely, a possible duel between Evenepoel and Pidcock would possibly show to be the extra aggressive battle of the day. Pidcock appears to be totally motivated following his Vuelta a Espana podium, ending a powerful second behind del Toro on the Giro dell’Emilia. Pidcock’s late assault on the steep ramps of the San Luca climb appeared to have cracked the chase, and solely a decided and considerably determined chase by del Toro robbed Pidcock of the win. Nonetheless, Pidcock completed a distant tenth on the World Championships and whereas he animated the race early on, he completed fortieth on the Tre Valli Varesine, over two minutes down on Pogačar.
Primoz Roglič. Roglič has been constant however not glowing over the previous few weeks, ending 11th on the World Championships, fifth on the Giro dell’Emilia, and thirteenth on the Tre Valli Varesine. He’s unnervingly constant, and prone to end within the lead group however seemingly unlikely to problem Pogačar for the win.
Paul Seixas. Simply barely 19 years outdated, Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) has had spectacular run of current type, ending 13th on the World Championships and third on the European Championships behind Pogačar and Evenepoel. Seixas hasn’t raced any of the Italian semi-classics main as much as Lombardia, however he appears more and more assured and his assault to distance Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana) on the final climb on the European Championships was sufficiently spectacular to earn him a spot on the listing of favorites for Lombardia.
Paul Seixas clinging to the wheel – a glimpse of the longer term?
Different riders who look prone to be within the combine at Lombardia:
- Juan Ayuso (UAE Group Emirates XRG, shifting to Lidl-Trek for 2026), who obtained eighth on the World Championships and sixth on the European Championships and who should wish to show that he’s nearer to Pogačar and Evenepoel than he has been of late;
- Egan Bernal, who has been on the bubble currently and deserves an excellent consequence;
- Isaac del Toro, whose type and up to date outcomes would put him on the brief listing of favorites, however he’ll probably be establishing Pogačar for his successful assault;
Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost), who DNF’ed the World Championships however confirmed some promise on the Giro dell’Emilia, the place he completed eleventh;
Tom Skujins (fifth on the World Championships and the European Championships and sixth at Tre Valli Varesine); - Giulio Ciccone (sixth on the World Championships); and
- Julian Alaphilippe (who appears to have bounced again from his sickness that precipitated him to DNF the World Championships to get third at Tre Valli Varesine).
With Pogačar up the street and racing towards the legendary performances of the previous, his current-day opponents might be vying for better of the remainder. Evenepoel is at the moment in that second place, however there are racers who appear motivated to problem him for that spot and perhaps even place themselves as Pogačar’s fundamental rival in 2026.
PEZ Video Extras
- Watch Pez’s Pre-Lombardia chat with Chris Horner from 2024 –
2. Watch the Prime Trip round Lake Como from Bellagio, over the Madonna del Ghisallo, and descending the Civiglio.
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