For the first time since 2020, the winner of the Tour de Lombardie will not be Tadej Pogačar. The five-time defending champion will not defend his title on the Italian roads after ending his season due to a crash at the Vuelta, leaving the rainbow jersey and the number one dorsal to his UAE Team Emirates teammate Brandon McNulty.
The final Monument of the cycling season, widely known as the “Classique des feuilles mortes,” or the Classic of the Falling Leaves, starts in Bergamo and stretches across 239 kilometers to the finish line in Como. Organizers have reversed the direction of the race compared to previous editions, creating a demanding route featuring eight categorized climbs and 4,845 meters of vertical elevation gain.
Eight Climbs and a Brutal Finale Shape the Route
The grueling profile mirrors the 2022 layout across the final 80 kilometers. Riders will tackle a 22-kilometer finishing circuit that includes two ascents of San Fermo della Battaglia, a 2.7-kilometer climb averaging 7.2 percent. The second and final trip over San Fermo peaks with just five kilometers remaining before the descent into Como.
Sandwiched between those two passes is the fearsome Civiglio, measuring more than four kilometers with an average gradient near 10 percent. The race is scheduled to start at 11:00 AM on Sunday. Race organizers estimate that the winner will cross the finish line between 4:40 PM and 5:20 PM local time, depending on whether the peloton averages 42 or 38 kilometers per hour.
Challengers Line Up Behind McNulty and Del Toro
While world champion Brandon McNulty carries the top bib, teammate Isaac del Toro enters with strong momentum after winning the GP de Montréal.
The start list features a deep roster of international talent. Remco Evenepoel represents Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe, while Lidl-Trek brings both Giulio Ciccone and Juan Ayuso. Enric Mas lines up for Movistar, Egan Bernal rides for Netcompany Ineos, and Tom Pidcock takes the start for Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. EF Education-EasyPost arrives with Richard Carapaz and Ben Healy among their options.
Paul Seixas Seeks a Monument Breakthrough
French attention centers squarely on 20-year-old Paul Seixas, whose season concludes on the roads of Lombardy. The young Frenchman is no stranger to the terrain after finishing seventh in his debut appearance a year ago. Earlier in the campaign, Seixas secured a second-place finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, trailing only Pogačar.
In Italy, Seixas will rely on strong support from a roster featuring Belgian rider Tiesj Benoot, American climber Matthew Riccitello, and French teammates Jordan Labrosse and Nicolas Prodhomme. Meanwhile, Lenny Martinez is slated to lead the Bahrain-Victorious squad, and Alex Baudin aims to make an impact in the tactical phases for EF Education-EasyPost.
Eurosport Broadcasts Action from Bergamo
Fans looking to follow the action live can tune into Eurosport, which begins its television broadcast at 10:35 AM local time ahead of the 11:00 AM neutral start from Bergamo.
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