Last year, Tony Gallopin finished as seventh in the Giro di Lombardia and this year Lotto Soudal returns with ambition. The race of the falling leaves is the last race of the World Tour. The 110th edition will be ridden on Saturday first October, it is 240 kilometres long and the riders have to overcome 4400 elevation metres.
The peloton starts in the streets of Como just before eleven o’ clock. Over the undulating roads the riders go to Bellaggio where the famous climb Madonna del Ghisallo is located. The climb is 8.5 kilometres long with an average gradient of 6.2% and a section of 14%. At the top there is a chapel that is a pilgrimage for cyclists and cycling fans. After the descent, there is a quit long flat part with the Colle Brianza as the only hill in the race. In the next hundred kilometres the peloton has to overcome one climb after another. This year the hardest part of the Giro di Lombardia will be the succession of five climbs: Valico di Valcava, Berbenno, Sant’Antonio Abbandonato, Miragolo San Salvatore and Selvino. At the top of the Selvino there are still 28 kilometres to the finish and the first fifteen kilometres are cut out for riders who can ride a fine descent.
The finale is similar to the one in 2014 when Tony Martin won. After a few flat kilometres there is one last steep climb to Bergamo. The hill is located 6.5 kilometres before the finish and is one kilometre long with an average gradient of 7.9%. The hardest part of the climb is at the end of the hill when the riders are faced with cobblestones and with a gradient of 12%. The fast descent leads the riders to the finish. In 2014, Daniel Martin, Alejandro Valverde and Rui Costa were on the podium. Also this year they’re among the favourites for the victory. Lotto Soudal counts on Tony Gallopin and Tim Wellens, who ended up as fourth in 2014. Also the Spanish riders Alberto Contador and Joaquim Rodríguez should be on the shortlist of potential winners.
In last year’s Giro di Lombardia Vincenzo Nibali triumphed after a solo. For the first time since 2008 an Italian rider won this race. Tony Gallopin finished eighth in a scattered group after a very well-planned race. Together with Tim Wellens, he is one of the leaders of Lotto Soudal. Two years ago, Tim Wellens crossed the finish line as fourth in Bergamo after a similar race. He’s already looking forward to this year’s edition of the race of the Falling Leaves and he hopes to obtain a good result again.
Tim Wellens: “In the Eneco Tour I wasn’t good. Once, we were close to the victory with André Greipel, but it wasn’t good enough. Unfortunately in the last stage the peloton didn’t let the breakaway of which I was a part of, ride for the win. My condition is still not how I want it to be. The season is almost over but I still hope I can obtain a nice result.”
“The Giro di Lombardia is one of the nicest monuments in cycling. It’s a very beautiful race. With the two new climbs the race is a little bit tougher than in 2014, but the finish is still the same. Today I’m going to recon those two climbs. However, I think that the Valcava will be the hardest climb. It’s located halfway the day. It might not have a big influence on the race, but we still have to climb it. I cherish some beautiful memories of the finish in Bergamo in 2014 when I finished as fourth. I’m curious about how I will perform this year. I won’t focus on getting in the early break, but I’ll be fully concentrated during the finale. I want to obtain a good result and I can only hope that my legs will be good during the finale.”
Sports director Frederik Willems wishes for a top-ten place for his team in the Giro di Lombardia, but a spot on the podium would be absolutely fantastic he says.
Frederik Willems, sports director: “This year it will be a very tough Lombardia, even tougher than the edition of 2014. Just like in 2014, the start is in Como and the finish in Bergamo, but the race includes steeper and longer climbs. The last hundred kilometres it goes up and down all the time.”
“I expect Astana and Team Tinkoff to control the race. There must be a reason why Alberto Contador is still racing this late in the season. Lotto Soudal has to get a rider in the breakaway. I’m spontaneously thinking about Maxime Monfort. After that, we’ll have to wait and see. With Tony Gallopin we have a strong leader and beside him we also have Tim Wellens and Jelle Vanendert who should be good on this kind of course. Tiesj Benoot will get a free role in this race: if he feels good, he’ll show it. However, we have wait and to see how the riders have recovered from the Vuelta and the Tour of Britain. A top ten place lies within possibility, but if we can perform as good as in 2014, or maybe do a little better and get on the podium, that would be fantastic. Anyway, with this race, I would be really happy with a top five place.”
Line-up: Sander Armée, Tiesj Benoot, Bart De Clercq, Tony Gallopin, Maxime Monfort Jelle Vanendert, Louis Vervaeke and Tim Wellens.
