Il Lombardia 2026: Route, Favourites, TV Coverage

The years go by, but traditions remain. And, as always, Il Lombardia will provide a fitting – indeed, a more than fitting – finale to this long 2026 cycling season. It’s the last Monument Classic of the year, the final gathering of cycling’s biggest stars before their well-earned holidays. In recent years, Bergamo and Como have taken turns hosting the start and finish of the Classic of the Falling Leaves, and this year will be no different, with the race setting off from Bergamo and finishing on Como’s lakefront. 239 km of pure spectacle.

The Route

The challenges are familiar by now, but a quick refresher never hurts. With 4,600 metres of elevation gain over 239 km, this is a race tailor-made for climbers. Starting from Bergamo, the route heads towards the Seriana Valley, with a short flat section before tackling a series of climbs in the Prealps surrounding the city. First come the Bocche del Gavarno (3 km at 4.7%) and the Selvino (10.1 km at 5.9%), with its spectacular succession of hairpin bends, followed by the Colle di Berbenno (4.5 km at 6.3%) and Valpiana (10.1 km at 6.2%), which brings the opening sequence of climbs to a close.

The riders then cross part of upper Brianza, tackling the Giovenzana side of Colle Brianza (3.6 km at 9.2%) before a fast descent towards Lecco. From there, the route follows Lake Como towards Bellagio, where the iconic Ghisallo climb (8.6 km at 6.2%) begins. An unmissable feature of Il Lombardia, it includes gradients of up to 14%. A very fast descent follows, ending in Maglio, before the road continues gently downhill towards Como, where the riders enter a 22 km finishing circuit.

After passing through Como, the peloton tackles San Fermo della Battaglia (2.7 km at 7.2%) for the first time, before descending back into the city and crossing the finish line. Around one kilometre later comes the punishing climb to Civiglio (4.2 km at 9.7%), where gradients remain close to 10% almost throughout. Riders will also need to watch out for a significant narrowing of the road at the summit. Another descent leads back into Como, followed by a second ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia. From there, the final 5.2 km are a rapid downhill dash towards the lakefront finish.

The Favourites

After five consecutive victories by Tadej Pogačar, it will feel strange to see someone else on the top step of the Il Lombardia podium. The last edition without the Slovenian was in 2020, when Jakob Fuglsang took victory and a 20-year-old Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) nearly saw his career come to an end after a horrific crash on the descent of the Colma di Sormano. Runner-up in the last two editions, the newly crowned European champion may now have his best chance yet to finally conquer the Classic of the Falling Leaves.

Without Pogačar, however, the race from Bergamo to Como looks wide open. UAE Team Emirates-XRG will be counting on world champion Brandon McNulty and Isaac Del Toro, while Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM), Tom Pidcock (Pinarello Q36.5) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) will all be chasing a victory that could become a defining achievement in their careers.

Among the outsiders are Matteo Jorgenson and Davide Piganzoli (Visma | Lease a Bike), Quinn Simmons and Juan Ayuso (Lidl-Trek), Michael Storer (Tudor), and Lennert Van Eetvelt and Jarno Widar (Lotto Intermarché). Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe will also field Florian Lipowitz, Giulio Pellizzari and Primož Roglič, all riding in support of Evenepoel.

Also worth watching are Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain Victorious), Enric Mas (Movistar), Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost), Oscar Onley and Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos).

Il Lombardia 2026: Schedule and TV Coverage

Il Lombardia 2026, 239 km
Start: 10:45 a.m.
KM 0: 11:00 a.m.
Live coverage begins: 09:30 a.m.
Estimated finish: 5:00 p.m.

TV Coverage: In Italy, the race will be broadcast live in its entirety, right from kilometre zero, on both RAI (RaiSport until 14:00, then Rai 2) and Discovery+ and HBO Max.

Play and Win Il Lombardia 2026

This year, Il Lombardia celebrates its 120th edition, and to mark this historic milestone, the Ride Through 120 Editions & Win competition has been launched. Put your knowledge to the test with quizzes dedicated to the history of the Classic of the Falling Leaves, and try your luck at winning one of 50 official T-shirts up for grabs through the Instant Win competition.

You’ll also remain in the running for the grand prize: the Il Lombardia Experience, a weekend for two on Lake Como, including two nights in a hotel, a guided bike tour and a visit to the Ghisallo Museum followed by an aperitivo. This is your last chance to enter: you have until Sunday, 11 October! And remember, the more quizzes you complete, the greater your chances of winning!

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