Il Lombardia and its climbs simply go hand in hand. The final Monument of the year is also the toughest, with 4,600 metres of elevation gain turning the race into a true battle of attrition. The climbers will have plenty to smile about again this year, with eight climbs on the route – nine if we include the relatively harmless early rise of Bocche del Gavarino. Each presents a different challenge, but taken one after another, they will combine to make the race a gruelling test of endurance
The first climb is one particularly close to the hearts of Bergamo cycling fans, as Selvino is a true training ground for local riders. The ascent is 10.1 km at an average gradient of 5.9%, with 19 hairpin bends, each dedicated to one of the great names of Bergamo cycling, and it could provide the perfect launchpad for the day’s first breakaway.
After the Colle di Berbenno (4.5 km at 6.3%) comes Valpiana (10.1 km at 6.2%), which brings the Bergamo section of the climbing to a close and takes the race into its second half.
This year’s new addition comes with around 100 km to go, when the riders will tackle Giovenzana, between the province of Lecco and the Brianza area. More specifically, it will be the first appearance of the ascent from Santa Maria Hoè, climbing through Paù and Cagliano before reaching Giovenzana on Colle Brianza. It may be short, but it is certainly not to be underestimated: 3.6 km at an average gradient of 9.2%, including a punishing 750-metre section at 14% and a maximum gradient of 16% near Cagliano.
The race will really come to life, however, once it reaches the Como area. First comes the Madonna del Ghisallo, the true symbol of Il Lombardia: it has featured on the route every year since 1919, with the sole exception of 1987, following the tragic crash of the Milan-Cologne flight just a couple of days before the race, in the same area. At the top of the pass, the unique bond between cycling and this special place is embodied by the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo, proclaimed the Patroness of Cyclists, the Cycling Museum, home to rare and prestigious memorabilia spanning a century of cycling history, and the Monument to the Cyclist. From a purely sporting perspective, the classic ascent from Bellagio is 8.6 km long at an average gradient of 6.2%.
This is where the big guns will begin to make their moves, but the final pieces of the puzzle will only fall into place over the last 30 km, with the Civiglio climb sandwiched between two ascents of San Fermo della Battaglia. Both climbs made their first appearance in the Race of the Falling Leaves in 2004 and have hardly ever been left out since then. The 2026 configuration, featuring San Fermo twice, however, has only been used once before, in 2022, when Tadej Pogačar outsprinted Enric Mas to claim victory.
Civiglio is around 4.2 km long at an average gradient of 9.7%, with sections reaching 14%. Short and steep, the climb also features a narrowing of the road close to the summit. This is where Vincenzo Nibali laid the foundations for both of his victories, in 2015 and 2017, turning the hairpins on the descent into the perfect terrain for two of the most spectacular attacks of his career. San Fermo della Battaglia, meanwhile, with its 2.7 km at 7.2%, has often provided the launchpad for some of Il Lombardia’s greatest triumphs, having almost always been used as the final climb before the plunge down towards Como. And with the riders tackling it twice this year… well, that means twice the show.
Discover the ‘Climbs’ page for Il Lombardia
