The Queen Race of Autumn Cycling
In 1961, Il Lombardia started in Milan for the first time without returning to the city.
The finish was moved to Como’s Stadio Sinigaglia, where Vito Taccone claimed victory, beginning a long association with the lakeside city that would host the finish until 1984.
In 1977, the race started in Seveso, with Gianbattista Baronchelli taking the win, while in 1983 it set off from Brescia before Sean Kelly emerged victorious.
Sean Kelly remains the only English-speaking rider ever to have won Il Lombardia, a distinction that underlines the scale of his achievement in one of cycling’s most demanding Classics. One of the most complete riders the sport has ever known, the Irishman built his legend through remarkable consistency and tactical intelligence, as well as a remarkable ability to win on every terrain. Among his finest achievements were his three victories at Il Lombardia, claimed in 1983, 1985 and 1991, a tally that places him among the race’s greatest champions. Even today, his name remains synonymous with toughness, consistency and an insatiable hunger for victory.
From 1985 to 1989, the route was reversed, starting in Como and finishing in Milan, with iconic finishes at the Vigorelli Velodrome, Piazza del Duomo and Corso Venezia.
Between 1990 and 1994, Monza took centre stage by hosting both the start and finish, although those five editions brought no victories for Italian riders.
During the 1960s, the fearsome Muro di Sormano began to appear intermittently on the route. Its brutal gradients divided opinion among riders and organisers alike, as many considered it an unforgiving challenge at the very end of a long season. These were golden years for Il Lombardia, marked by the triumphs of champions such as Felice Gimondi (1966, 1973), Eddy Merckx (1971, 1972), Roger De Vlaeminck (1974, 1976), Francesco Moser (1975, 1978), Bernard Hinault (1979, 1984) and Sean Kelly (1983, 1985, 1991), among many others.
With the Vuelta a España still held in spring and the UCI Road World Championships taking place at the end of the summer, autumn belonged to Il Lombardia. It truly became cycling’s “Autumn World Championship”.
hall of fame
The crowd at Como’s Stadio Sinigaglia, the finish venue of the 1966 Giro di Lombardia, erupted in a deafening roar, as if a decisive goal had just been scored. Felice Gimondi had won. In a sprint between giants, he defeated Eddy Merckx, Raymond Poulidor and Jacques Anquetil after being perfectly led out by his Salvarani teammate Vittorio Adorni. It was a particularly special victory for the proud Lombard from Bergamo — one can only imagine how much he would have loved a Lombardia finishing in his hometown — as he achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Race of the Falling Leaves at his very first attempt, just as he had done at the Tour de France the previous year. The finish provided no shortage of controversy, with Merckx complaining that Adorni had boxed him in during the sprint, while a delighted Gimondi joked, “Will they say I bought this one too?”, a tongue-in-cheek reference to rumours that his victory over Merckx at the Coppa Agostoni a week earlier had been a gift from the Belgian. Gimondi would go on to finish second in both 1967 and 1970, beaten on each occasion by Franco Bitossi, and third in 1972, the year of Merckx’s second Lombardia triumph. The Cannibal also appeared to dominate the 1973 edition, crossing the line first by a comfortable margin, but the victory was later awarded to Gimondi, who had finished second.
Vittorie
2
Partecipazioni
9
