Bergamo and its climbs: Il Lombardia is back

What better way to wrap up the season than a 238 km ride and 4,400 meters of climbing? Il Lombardia 2025 is, as always, the breathtaking showdown to a year packed with drama, spectacle, surprises, and confirmations. For those in the peloton, “fun” won’t exactly be the word of the day as this race is all about sweat and suffering. But for the fans watching along the roadside or on TV, one thing is guaranteed: it’s going to be an electrifying Saturday.

It’s an odd year, which means the last Monument of the season will roll out from Como and finish in Bergamo, just like it did in 2021 and 2023. Thus, most riders already know what’s coming in terms of gradients and dynamics. Still, the hallmark of Il Lombardia – whether it finishes in Como or Bergamo – is the complete lack of breathing space: one climb follows another, relentlessly.

On top of its 238 km length, the course features a brutal series of climbs, the kind that shred the peloton just by looking at them. It all kicks off with the Madonna del Ghisallo, a signature climb of Il Lombardia, but it’s the last 145 km that will make the race truly decisive. First comes the Roncola Alta (9.4 km at 6.6%), followed by Berbenno (6.8 km at 4.6%), then the Passo della Crocetta (11 km at 6.2%) and Zambia Alta (9.5 km at 3.5%), before the big one: the Passo di Ganda (9.2 km at 7.3%). The summit comes 32 km from the finish, before the plunging descent into Bergamo.

It was precisely on the Ganda that Tadej Pogačar sealed both his first and third triumphs at the “Race of the Falling Leaves”: in 2021, he lit it up on the climb, dropped everyone, only to be caught on the descent by hometown rider Fausto Masnada, before outsprinting him in the finale. And in 2023, despite not being in his very best shape, the Slovenian still attacked near the top, surprised his rivals, and bagged his third victory.

Before the finish line in Bergamo, the race still has one last sting in the tail: the iconic, fan-packed ramp up to the upper town, Largo Colle Aperto. Just one kilometer long but averaging 7.9%, spiking at 12%, and paved with bone-rattling cobblestones. The very last chance for anyone to upset the inevitable. After that? It’s party time, and then off on a well deserved vacation.