LOMBARDIA’22 Preview: Who Can Win The Race Of The Falling Leaves?

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Giro di Lombardia Preview: Il Lombardia is the last big race of the 2022 season, okay Paris-Tours is on the Sunday after the ‘race of the falling leaves’ but it’s not what it used to be. Ed Hood looks at the history, route and who can win this very open race.

By Edmond Hood On Oct 5, 2022

It can’t be? Het Nieuwsblad was just the other week? But it surely is, the last ‘Monument’ of the season – 253km and 4800 metres of elevation gain – and the prelude to ‘holiday time’ for a lot of professionals with many puling on a new jersey on January 1st 2022 – if they’re lucky, that is.

The Tour of Lombardy or ‘il Lombardia’ as it’s now known. Milan-Sanremo is longer, Liege-Bastogne is tougher and both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix have more crazed fans, cobbles and beer but Lombardia is the most beautiful of the five ‘Monuments’ which are the bedrock of our sport.

The lakes, the mountains, the red pan tiled roofed villages, the leaves on the turn – magnificent. And even the nickname is lovely; La classica delle foglie morte – ‘Race of the Falling Leaves.’ This will be edition 116 with ‘il Campionissimo’ Fausto Coppi the Master, winning five of those; but his rival, Gino Bartali is the ‘stat master’ on podiums with nine – three wins, four second places and two third places. In recent times Italy’s now retired ‘Little Prince’ Damiano Cunego has been most successful with wins in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Il Lombardia’22 map and profile

The 253km route will depart from Bergamo and finish in Como. The last 60km features a sequence of tough climbs passing through Ghisallo, San Fermo della Battaglia, Civiglio, and again through San Fermo, before the finish line on the beautiful Como lakefront.

Ah! Lago di Como

As a Monument the race will have all 18 World Tour teams and seven ‘wild card’ pro continental teams. Youngest man in the race will be Belgium and BORA’s Tour de l’Avenir winning ‘wonder kid,’ Cian Uijtdebroeks at just 19 years-of-age and oldest man is Spain’s former World Champion Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) at 42 years-of-age.

It’s the remarkable Murcian’s last UCI race – although one suspects there will be big bucks ‘farewell’ crits – he had this to say of his farewell; “Italy is a country that I have always loved and where I have always liked to race and finish with competitive cycling in Lombardy, it gives me immense pleasure.” And the man is STILL riding well, in the recent Italian late season semi-classics he was second in the Coppa Agostoni and fourth in the Giro dell’Emilia. A win is perhaps too much to ask for but a podium is certainly possible.

Domenico Pozzovivo (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux & Italy) shares the most starts and finishes stat with 14 and 12, respectively.

And on the same stats is the most successful rider in the rider on past performances, Vincenzo Nibali (Astana Qazaqstan & Italy) who has two wins and a fifth place off his 14 starts. It’s also the Sicilian’s last UCI race and he said; “For me it will be a great thrill and a great honour to close in Il Lombardia which is one of the races that I have loved most in my career.” But a podium seems unlikely for the 37 years-old.

Second on ‘stats,’ Valverde has two second places; third on ‘stats’ is Rigoberto Urán (EF Education–EasyPost & Colombia) who has been third on three occasions. ‘Rigo’ is enjoying good form with top 10 finishes in the Vuelta on GC, Agostoni and Emilia, a podium?

In addition to those old War Horses and their past glories there are another four previous past winners on the start list:

Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ & France) there’s nothing to suggest he’ll, ‘do a ride’ but this is Pinot, remember?

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo & The Netherlands) big, strong, solid, give him 50 metres and. . .

Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech & Denmark) a top ride is highly unlikely from the 37 years-old Dane.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates & Slovenia) despite a lack lustre Worlds it would be foolish to discount the 2021 winner, second in Emilia and his win in the Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday confirms the form is still good and he must start as race favourite.

There are always surprises at Lombardy, late season form/blues, the hand to hand combat for UCi points and desperation for results to secure a contract for 2023 all play a part but other names to conjure with are:

Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl & France): He’ll want to end what hasn’t been a great season for him on a high, the team morale couldn’t be higher after Wollongong and he was very frisky in the Coppa Bernocchi.

Roman Bardet (DSM & France): Good in the Canadian races and Worlds, if his head is right then he could win, he loves those descents. . .

Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R Citroën & France): The Quebec winner would have expected more from Wollongong, here’s his chance to make amends.

Enric Mas (Movistar & Spain): As Sean Connery might say; ‘shureley theresh shome mishtake?’ Enric winning a race? Yes indeed, after his strong Vuelta he was top 10 in Agostoni and won Emilia – the percorso suits him, so. . .

Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious & Slovenia): Hot off his CRO Race win and with that drop to the finish it could suit this Demon Descender. . .

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin Deceuninck & The Netherlands): Prior to his Worlds débàcle his form was hot with three straight wins in quality races. He’ll be eager to end the season on a high – just as long as no one mentions; ‘Novotel.’ As we go to press, MvdP has decided to forget Lombardy and head for the other side of Italy, the Veneto and the Gravel Worlds.

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma & Denmark): with two stage wins and second on GC in the CRO Race, the Tour de France winner is back in business and seeing him win here isn’t hard to envisage.

Adam Yates (INEOS Grenadiers & GB): he won in Deutschland and was strong in Canada, the percorso suits his characteristics; he was third here last year. . .

As said, for sure there’ll be a surprise in the final mix – but that’s what makes bike racing so entertaining. PEZ will be covering the race with erudite reporting and Cor Vos’s stunning images – DO NOT touch that dial.

Go for Moretti ‘La Rosa’ as your race watching tipple, you’ll thank me.

Ed’s choice: Moretti ‘La Rosa’

Edmond Hood

It was November 2005 when Ed Hood first penned a piece for PEZ, on US legend Mike Neel. Since then he's covered all of the Grand Tours and Monuments for PEZ and has an article count in excess of 1,800 in the archive. He was a Scottish champion cyclist himself - many years and kilograms ago - and still owns a Klein Attitude, Dura Ace carbon Giant and a Fixie. He and fellow Scot and PEZ contributor Martin Williamson run the Scottish site www.veloveritas.co.uk where more of his musings on our sport can be found.