LOMBARDIA 2016: A UNIQUELY TOUGH CHALLENGE
The 110th edition of the end of season Monument Classic, scheduled for Saturday 1st October, includes many of international cycling’s most prominent names in its entry list. The course, from Como to Bergamo, is challenging, with a finale featuring two new climbs.
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Milan, 23 September 2016 - Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru, Joaquim Rodriguez, Philippe Gilbert, Esteban Chaves, Bauke Mollema, Daniel Martin, Rigoberto Uran, Tim Wellens, Daniel Moreno, Wout Poels, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Steven Cummings, Romain Bardet, Jarlinson Pantano, Julian Alaphilippe, Giovanni Visconti and Diego Ulissi, are among the prominent names of the 25 teams which appear in the entry list of Il Lombardia NamedSport, on Saturday 1st October. The Monument Classic, organised by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport, will start from Como and finish in Bergamo, on a very challenging course of 240km, featuring 4,400m of total elevation, and a finale presenting two climbs that have never been faced before in Il Lombardia.
COURSE AND FINAL KILOMETRES
The race starts in Como with a classic first section that culminates (after Cantù, Erba, Asso and Onno) with the Ghisallo climb from Bellagio. It's a traditional passage, featuring gradients up to 14%. The route will then go through Asso (again), Pusiano and Oggiono before climbing Colle Brianza, going through the Alta Brianza and the Meratese and entering the Province of Bergamo at Calusco d’Adda.
Torre de’ Busi marks the start of the Valcava climb (featuring 9.6km at 9% inclination, with a maximum gradient of 17% - 1,336m above sea level) on mountain roads with 14 hairpins. A challenging descent with steep inclinations follows, ending in Costa Valle Imagna, and proceeding toward Ponte Giurino, where the second feed station is situated.
Then comes the never-faced-before climb of Sant’Antonio Abbandonato, followed by the ascent of Miragolo San Salvatore, also featuring for the first time in Il Lombardia. Both climbs are tough with high inclination and narrow and challenging roads. After a short descent the next climb is toward Selvino, followed by a long descent with hairpins, 9km away from the classic passage in Bergamo's Città Alta before the finish line in the city's main Sentierone road.
The finale features these two new climbs
Final kms
Final kilometres through Bergamo Alta, entering from Porta Garibaldi toward (200m on cobblestones) Largo Colle Aperto. The first part of the final climb is constantly over 10% (max 12%). The descent is wide on well paved surface. 1,800m before the finish line the road bends sharply to the left, narrowing down to cross Porta Sant’Agostino. After the Last Kilometre triangle the road turns left and 250m before the finish line there's the last bend on the right before the final straight.
