Il Lombardia 2025: Pogacar hunts history on the road from Como to Bergamo

Barely 30 kilometres into the day the peloton will already face the Madonna del Ghisallo, climbing from Asso to the iconic chapel before descending into Bellagio and skirting the shores of Lake Como to Lecco. From there the climbing begins in earnest with the Roncola, Berbenno, Passo della Crocetta and Zambla Alta, a series of ascents designed to sap the legs before the key phase of the race.

The decisive point remains the Passo di Ganda, 9.2 kilometres at 7.3 percent, with its summit some 30 kilometres from the finish. This is where the race has been decided in recent editions. In 2021, Pogacar attacked on its slopes and later outsprinted Fausto Masnada in Bergamo. In 2023, he accelerated on the descent and rode solo to victory.

Past Ganda, the route drops into Selvino on a long descent with 19 hairpins before reaching the only flat stretch of the finale, nine kilometres that serve as the approach to Bergamo. The race then passes through the Città Alta, climbing towards Porta Garibaldi and Largo Aperto, including 200 metres of cobbled paving. Gradients in this section rarely dip below 10 percent, with ramps up to 12. 

The following descent is on a wide, smooth roadway, leading to Porta Sant’Agostino with 1,800 metres to go, where a sharp bend and a brief narrowing of the road add to the tension. After the flamme rouge, the course swings left onto the final 800 metres, a straight stretch of asphalt that dips slightly before levelling out to the line.

Race director Stefano Allocchio described the alternation between Como and Bergamo as “a tradition that guarantees spectacular racing at the highest level.” He said the return to the 2023 route offered “a selective and fascinating course featuring many of the race’s historic climbs,” and predicted “an extraordinary turnout from riders and fans alike, confirming the unique charm of this Monument Classic.”

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates-XRG) will once again start as the overwhelming favourite. The four time Tour de France winner has claimed victory here four years running and now has the chance to equal Fausto Coppi’s all time record. Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) has also confirmed his participation and will be chasing a first Lombardia victory on terrain that should suit him.

The World Championships in Rwanda and the European Championships in the Ardèche will already be in the books by the time the peloton rolls out of Como. Il Lombardia will close the curtain on the season, a race that continues to marry beauty and brutality, and another opportunity for Pogačar to carve his name still deeper into cycling history.