Tour of Lombardy
Encyclopedia
The Giro di Lombardia is a cycling race, in Lombardy
, Italy
. It is the last 'Monument
' of the European calendar, and although no longer part of the UCI ProTour
, it was for many years the last event in the UCI World Ranking
calendar, and therefore potentially decisive in that title. In 2012 however, it will move to a new position on the calendar in late September. Its nickname
is "the classic of the dead (falling) leaves" .
, Sesto San Giovanni
, Bergamo
, Varese
, Monza
, Como
have been start or finish place. In 2004 the race started in Mendrisio
in Switzerland
, and ended in Como
. The most famous obstacle is the Madonna del Ghisallo
climb that appears in the latter part of the race. A shrine
there has a small museum containing religious and cycling objects.
Fausto Coppi
won a record five times. Frenchman Henri Pelissier
and Irishman Sean Kelly
are the only non-Italian riders to win the race three times. The 2009
and 2010
editions were won by Philippe Gilbert
. Gilbert was not able to win the 2011
edition after a succesful season for the Belgium classics specialist.
The Giro di Lombardia is known as a climbers classic and has included several well known climbs over the years. The most famous of them is the Madonna del Ghisallo
climb. An overview of climbs featured in Il Lomardia:
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is the last 'Monument
Classic cycle races
The classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
' of the European calendar, and although no longer part of the UCI ProTour
UCI ProTour
The UCI ProTour was a series of road bicycle races in Europe, Australia and Canada organised by the UCI . Created by Hein Verbruggen, former president of the UCI, it comprises a number of 'ProTour' cycling teams, each of whom are required to compete in every round of the series...
, it was for many years the last event in the UCI World Ranking
UCI World Ranking
The UCI World Tour is the premier annual male elite road cycling tour. It refers to both the tour of 27 events and an annual ranking system based upon performances in these...
calendar, and therefore potentially decisive in that title. In 2012 however, it will move to a new position on the calendar in late September. Its nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
is "the classic of the dead (falling) leaves" .
History
The first edition was 1905. It was then called Milan-Milan. It gained its current name in 1907. The route has changed many times. MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Sesto San Giovanni
Sesto San Giovanni
Sesto San Giovanni is a comune in the Milan metropolitan area, located in the province of Milan and region of Lombardy in Italy. Its railway station is the northernmost stop on the Milan Metro M1 line. The city is informally referred to as "Sesto"...
, Bergamo
Bergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
, Varese
Varese
Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :...
, Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
have been start or finish place. In 2004 the race started in Mendrisio
Mendrisio
Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland ....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and ended in Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
. The most famous obstacle is the Madonna del Ghisallo
Madonna del Ghisallo
Madonna del Ghisallo is a hill in Magreglio, close to Lake Como in Italy. It is named after a legendary Marian apparition.According to the legend, the Medieval count Ghisallo was being attacked by bandits when he saw an image of Virgin Mary at a shrine. He ran to it and was saved from the robbers...
climb that appears in the latter part of the race. A shrine
Shrine
A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....
there has a small museum containing religious and cycling objects.
Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
won a record five times. Frenchman Henri Pelissier
Henri Pélissier
Henri Pélissier was a French racing cyclist from Paris and champion of the 1923 Tour de France. In addition to his 29 career victories, he was known for his long-standing feud with Tour founder Henri Desgrange and for protesting against the conditions endured by riders in the early years of the Tour...
and Irishman Sean Kelly
Seán Kelly (cyclist)
John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
are the only non-Italian riders to win the race three times. The 2009
2009 Giro di Lombardia
The 2009 Giro di Lombardia was the 103rd edition of this single day road bicycle racing monument race, colloquially known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves". The event was scheduled for the 17 October 2009. It was the final event of the 2009 UCI World Ranking and the final major event of the 2009...
and 2010
2010 Giro di Lombardia
The 2010 Giro di Lombardia was the 104th edition of this single day classic cycling race, colloquially known as the "Race of the Falling Leaves". The event took place 16 October 2010. It was the final event of the 2010 UCI World Ranking and the final major event of the 2010 road racing season...
editions were won by Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
. Gilbert was not able to win the 2011
2011 Giro di Lombardia
The 2011 Giro di Lombardia was the 105th edition of the Giro di Lombardia single-day cycling race, often known as the Race of the Falling Leaves. It was held on 15 October 2011, over a distance of , starting in Milan and ending in Lecco for the first time...
edition after a succesful season for the Belgium classics specialist.
Route
The route has changed many times over the years, although the signature symbol of the race has remained the Como lake and the Ghisallo climb that starts near Bellagio and arrives at the church of Madonna del Ghisallo, the patron of cyclists. Milan, Monza, Como and Bergamo have all been traditional arrival cities of the race through the years. Since 2004, the arrival has returned to the lake front in Como with the short, but tough San Fermo della Battaglia climb a few kilometers from the end. The 2010 edition saw the introduction of the Colma di Sormano climb which replaced the Cviglio climb after the Ghisallo climb. The Sormano climb was also introduced in the fully renewed route for the 2011 edition. The climb was installed before the Madonna del Ghisallo. After the Ghisallo climb a flat road took the race towards Lecco for the final climb of the race: the 3,4 km climb of Villa Vergano. After the descend only 3 km remained until the finish. The steep road of the Villa Vergano climb proved to be decisive in the 2011 race.| Years | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 1905–1960 | Milano | Milano |
| 1961–1984 | Milano | Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
| 1984–1989 | Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
Milano (Duomo) |
| 1990–1994 | Milano | Monza Monza Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June... |
| 1995–2001 | Varese Varese Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :... |
Bergamo Bergamo Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan... |
| 2002 | Cantu Cantù Cantù is a city and comune in the Province of Como, located at the center of the Brianza zone in Lombardy. It is the second largest city in Brianza.-History:... |
Bergamo Bergamo Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan... |
| Years | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
Bergamo Bergamo Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan... |
| 2004–2006 | Mendrisio Mendrisio Mendrisio is a municipality in the district of Mendrisio in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.Mendrisio is the seat of the Accademia di Architettura of the university of Italian speaking Switzerland .... (SUI Switzerland Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition.... ) |
Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
| 2007–2009 | Varese Varese Varese is a town and comune in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 55 km north of Milan.It is the capital of the Province of Varese. The hinterland or urban part of the city is called Varesotto.- Geography :... |
Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
| 2010 | Milano | Como Como Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.... |
| 2011–Present | Milano | Lecco Lecco Lecco is a town of c. 47,760 inhabitants in Lombardy, northern Italy, north of Milan, the capital of the province of Lecco. It lies at the end of the south-eastern branch of Lake Como... |
The Giro di Lombardia is known as a climbers classic and has included several well known climbs over the years. The most famous of them is the Madonna del Ghisallo
Madonna del Ghisallo
Madonna del Ghisallo is a hill in Magreglio, close to Lake Como in Italy. It is named after a legendary Marian apparition.According to the legend, the Medieval count Ghisallo was being attacked by bandits when he saw an image of Virgin Mary at a shrine. He ran to it and was saved from the robbers...
climb. An overview of climbs featured in Il Lomardia:
| Climb | Distance | Average Grade | Max Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civiglio | 5,7 km | 6,9% | 10% |
| Colle Brianza | 4,2 km | 6,9% | 7,5% |
| Colma di Sormano | 9,6 km | 6,5% | 8,4% |
| Madonna del Ghisallo Madonna del Ghisallo Madonna del Ghisallo is a hill in Magreglio, close to Lake Como in Italy. It is named after a legendary Marian apparition.According to the legend, the Medieval count Ghisallo was being attacked by bandits when he saw an image of Virgin Mary at a shrine. He ran to it and was saved from the robbers... |
10,6 km | 5,2% | 11% |
| Climb | Distance | Average Grade | Max Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muro di Sormano | 2 km | 15,2% | 27% |
| San Fermo della Battaglia San Fermo della Battaglia San Fermo della Battaglia is a comune in the Province of Como in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 40 km north of Milan and about 3 km southwest of Como... |
2,2 km | 8,2% | 8,3% |
| Valcava | 11,8 km | 8% | 12% |
| Villa Vergano | 3,2 km | 7,4% | 15% |
Winners
Winners by Nationality
| # of Victories | Country |
|---|---|
| 67 | |
| 12 | |
| 11 | |
| 5 | |
| 3 | |
| 3 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
| 1 | |
External links
- There is a chapter about this race in the book The Spring Classics: Cycling's Greatest One-Day Races