Il Lombardia 2026 Cheat Sheet: Route, Climbs, Favorites, Storylines for Final Monument of 2026

The leaves are falling, the season is fading, and cycling’s final monument is wide open at this weekend’s Il Lombardia.

Brandon McNulty, Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, and Isaac del Toro headline the contenders for Il Lombardia on October 10.

With five-time defending champion Tadej Pogačar sidelined with injury, the elite men’s road season’s final big date will see a peloton keen to fill the void.

For the first time since 2020, somebody with the last name other than Pogačar will lift the trophy.

Will that make it a better race? We’re about to find out.

The Slovenian’s absence could give Evenepoel a chance to win his first Lombardia victory. He’ll square off with recently crowned world champion McNulty and a deep field of favorites.

Nobody gets an easy ride going into the offseason. Il Lombardia is the last real hit-out in what’s been a wild and thrilling 2026 road season.

The 120th edition packs 239km and 4,600m of climbing between Bergamo and Como, with the Ghisallo, Civiglio, and two trips up San Fermo della Battaglia waiting to squeeze out whatever juice the legs might have left.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 “Race of the Falling Leaves,” aka Il Lombardia.

Il Lombardia 2026: Quick Facts

Date: Saturday, October 10
Edition: 120th
Start: Bergamo, Italy
Finish: Como, Italy
Distance: 239km
Elevation gain: 4,600m
Climbs: Nine, counting the early Bocche di Gavarno rise
Start: 10:45 a.m. CET
Expected finish: 4:40 to 5:20 p.m. CET
Defending champion: Tadej Pogačar, sidelined with injury
Nickname: Race of the Falling Leaves

A monument for the climbers

Il Lombardia switches direction for 2026, starting in Bergamo and finishing in Como after the reverse route in 2025.

That matters because the Como finish brings the steep Civiglio climb and its twisting descent into the late-race equation, followed by one final haul over San Fermo della Battaglia.

The opening climbs around Bergamo give the breakaway room to move and the peloton plenty of opportunity to settle in for a long day.

The route then crosses Brianza, drops toward Lecco, and follows Lake Como to Bellagio for the ascent of the Madonna del Ghisallo.

From there, the race heads toward Como and a finale built around San Fermo, Civiglio, and San Fermo again.

Il Lombardia 2026 route map

Key Climbs: Ghisallo, Civiglio and San Fermo

The course rolls out from Bergamo and opens with Bocche di Gavarno, Selvino, Colle di Berbenno, and Valpiana before reaching the sharper climbs toward Como. The early breaks will move and the chase is on.

Giovenzana adds a new challenge with about 100km remaining. The 3.6km ascent averages 9.2 percent, with a 750-meter section at 14 percent and ramps reaching 16 percent.

The iconic Madonna del Ghisallo hits out above Bellagio, climbing 8.6km at 6.2 percent to the iconic sanctuary overlooking Lake Como.

The final circuit packs Civiglio between two ascents of San Fermo della Battaglia. Civiglio climbs 4.2km at 9.7 percent, with a narrow road and a twisting descent that sprung Vincenzo Nibali to victory in 2015 and 2017.

San Fermo bites at 2.7km at 7.2 percent. Its second ascent is the final climb, topping out at about 5km from the finish before a fast descent into Como and a flat final kilometer.

Action guaranteed until the end. The tifosi will be out in droves.

Il Lombardia 2026 favorites: Who can win?

Just like when he’s in a race, Pogačar’s absence also changes the entire conversation.

A Pog-free Lombardia is one without the overwhelming defending favorite to dictate how everybody else races.

Several teams start with more than one potential winner in what should be a wide-open race.

Evenepoel, McNulty, and an on-form and angry Ciccone top the list, with Seixas, Del Toro, Juan Ayuso, Matteo Jorgenson, Quinn Simmons, and Tom Pidcock among the other top names on the provisional start list.

Remco Evenepoel: His best Lombardia chance yet

Evenepoel arrives coming off his spectacular European championship bike-throw, and he’s been runner-up in the past two editions of Lombardia.

He already owns two Liège-Bastogne-Liège titles, so winning Saturday would give him a third monument victory and his first at Lombardia.

Without Pogačar, the Belgian becomes the five-star favorite. Rivals won’t want to give him any daylight, especially anywhere on the final circuit.

Brandon McNulty: Rainbow jersey, monument dreams

McNulty brings the world champion’s jersey into a race no American has won.

His Montréal victory confirmed his potential on long, attritional races. A strong week in his rainbow jersey debut bodes well for a big ride this weekend.

UAE also brings del Toro, giving the superteam another attacking option as it tries to keep the trophy in-house.

Giulio Ciccone and Juan Ayuso: Two cards for Lidl-Trek

Ciccone heads to Lombardia after his agonizing photo finish defeat to Evenepoel at the European championships.

The steep Como finale suits his climbing strengths, and racing on home roads adds another incentive to try to become Italy’s first winner since Nibali’s second in 2017.

Alongside Ayuso, Lidl-Trek packs two riders capable of playing the odds.

Simmons — who rode a monster race last year to finish fourth — is also confirmed for Lidl-Trek.

Paul Seixas and Isaac del Toro: Youth vs the established stars

Seixas and del Toro won’t be content to follow the wheels.

Both have the climbing legs to go deep into the race, and both are chasing redemption after the Montréal worlds.

The tactical question is whether they will hide in the bunch until the final climbs or force the selection themselves early.

For either one to win, they’ll have to get past each other. Neither has won a monument yet. This could be their best chance.

Matteo Jorgenson, Tom Pidcock: The other contenders

Jorgenson and Pidcock both showed top form at Tre Valli, even if Jarno Widar outplayed them in the final sprint.

Davide Piganzoli, Giulio Pellizzari, and Antonio Tiberi add to the Italian options. Ben Healy is always a name to watch in any climb-heavy race.

Perhaps a surprise winner? Probably not. The monuments are usually too hard and too long to defy the favorites.

Why is Tadej Pogačar missing Il Lombardia 2026?

Pogačar will not defend his title after brutal injuries sustained in his Vuelta a España crash ended his season. His UAE team ruled out any hint of an early return.

Pogačar’s recovering seems to be on track. He’s already training outdoors but he will not race again in 2026.

His 2027 racing calendar will be mapped out during upcoming team camps in November and December.

Il Lombardia history: Who has the most wins?

Coppi and Pogačar share the record with five victories each.

Coppi won four straight editions from 1946 through 1949, then returned for a fifth victory in 1954. Pogačar won five consecutive editions from 2021 through 2025

The Slovenian’s absence guarantees a different winner in 2026.

Has an American ever won Il Lombardia?

No American has won Il Lombardia.

That gives McNulty, Simmons, and Jorgenson an opportunity to add another milestone to an already historic fall for U.S. cycling.

McNulty arrives after becoming the first American man to win the elite road world title in 33 years. Jorgenson played a key role in that victory, and a podium at Tre Valli proves he’s on top form.

Simmons was fourth in last year’s Il Lombardia and also fourth in Montréal.

Why is Il Lombardia called the ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’?

The nickname comes from the race’s autumn date in northern Italy.

First held in 1905, Lombardia became synonymous with the closing weeks of the European season.

The Italian nickname, Classica delle Foglie Morte, serves up the Race of the Falling Leaves translation. Another nickname is Il Mondiale d’Autunno, the autumn world championships.

Il Lombardia closes out a full week of racing action across northern Italy. The men’s WorldTour ends later this month at the Tour de Guangxi in China.

What is the Madonna del Ghisallo?

It’s only fitting that cycling has its own patron saint.

In 1949, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Madonna del Ghisallo the patroness of cyclists. The small church is now a pilgrimage site for all two-wheeled aficionados.

The nearby cycling museum is packed with bikes, jerseys, and memorabilia from generations of champions. The climb and the view are inspiring to say the least.

Is there a women’s Il Lombardia in 2026?

There is no elite women’s Il Lombardia in 2026.

Lombardia remains the only one of the five historic monuments without an established elite women’s equivalent, following the return of Sanremo Women in 2025.

Race organizer RCS Sport says it’s working on a women’s edition, perhaps as soon as 2028.

Is Il Lombardia the final monument of the season?

Yes. It follows Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, all held in the spring.

It is the final monument, but there are still a few races on the calendar, including the Tour de Guangxi in China, the Eneco Tour, and Chrono des Nations.

The WorldTour kicks back into gear in January at the Santos Tour Down Under.

Who’s won Il Lombardia and the world title in same year?

This is one of cycling’s more interesting doubles. Il Lombardia is often the biggest race on the calendar for any freshly crowned world champion.

Only eight male riders have pulled off the worlds-Lombardia double:

Alfredo Binda (1927)
Tom Simpson (1965)
Eddy Merckx (1971)
Felice Gimondi (1973)
Giuseppe Saronni (1982)
Oscar Camenzind (1998)
Paolo Bettini (2006)
Tadej Pogačar (2024, 2025)