120 editions, more than a century of cycling, champions and legendary exploits. Click HERE to retrace the history of Il Lombardia.
Since 2014, Il Lombardia has developed a clear identity, alternating its start and finish between Como and Bergamo from one year to the next. The only exception came between 2017 and 2020, when every edition started in Bergamo and finished in Como along the shores of Lake Como. Since 2021, however, the honour roll has featured only one flag: Slovenia’s. Tadej Pogačar has won the Race of the Falling Leaves five consecutive times, an unprecedented achievement that also allowed him to equal Fausto Coppi’s all-time record of five victories.
2015: Nibali restores Italy’s pride
No Italian rider had won a Monument Classic since 2008, when Damiano Cunego triumphed at Il Lombardia. It was Vincenzo Nibali who finally brought that drought to an end in 2015, claiming his first victory in the Race of the Falling Leaves and putting an exclamation mark on a season in which he had struggled to reach the extraordinary level he had shown the previous year when winning the Tour de France.
The Shark secured victory with a daring attack on the descent of the Civiglio climb. After twice attempting to break clear on the climbs without success, he finally made the decisive move downhill before enjoying a memorable solo ride to the finish.
2020: Fuglsang wins, Evenepoel’s terrifying crash
The 2020 edition is impossible to forget. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Il Lombardia was held on 15 August, an extraordinary departure from its traditional autumn date. Jakob Fuglsang took victory, but the defining image of the race was the horrifying crash suffered by a young Remco Evenepoel on the descent of the Muro di Sormano. Trying to match the pace and descending skills of the strongest riders—particularly Vincenzo Nibali—the Belgian struck the parapet of a bridge and plunged into the ravine below. He suffered a fractured pelvis and a bruised lung, although the consequences could easily have been far more serious. Evenepoel returned to racing nine months later at the Giro d’Italia.
2021: Pogačar begins his reign
Tadej Pogačar‘s talent was already beyond question, having won the previous two editions of the Tour de France. What few could have imagined was that, from 2021 onwards, Il Lombardia would become his exclusive domain.
On his debut in the race, Pogačar attacked with 36 kilometres remaining on the Passo di Ganda after following an acceleration by Vincenzo Nibali. On the descent he was joined by local hero Fausto Masnada, and the pair reached Bergamo together, where the Slovenian prevailed in the sprint. He was not yet the all-conquering Pogačar who would dominate the following editions, but he was already strong and astute enough to outwit every rival.
Click HERE to discover more about the century-old history of Il Lombardia.
