It was revealed this morning at Pirelli skyscraper the route of Il Lombardia 2023, which will be held on October 7 next. The last classic monument of the season will start from As and it will come to Bergamo After 238 km e 4,400 meters of altitude difference.
Twenty-five the starting teams, who will compete on the sequence of climbs that have made the history of the dead leaves classic: Madonna del GhisalloRoncola, Berbenno, Crocetta Pass, Zambla Alta, Ganda Pass and to finish the Colle Aperto climb before the arrival of Bergamo.
They also attended the presentation Damiano Cunegowinner of the 2004, 2007 and 2008 editions, e Vincenzo Nibali, winner in 2015 and 2017, who said goodbye to racing at Lombardia a year ago.
The various initiatives organized on the sidelines for the public were also presented, from the rides promoted by the Lombardy Region and Crédit Agricole to the “Lombardia Express” project, which will crown this 117th edition.
The path of Lombardy 2023
The classic climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo will be the appetizer of the day after the passage from Cantù. You will go up from the side of Bellagio to reach Lecco along the shore of Lake Como. Once you enter the province of Bergamo you will enter a series of bumps that portend a spectacular race where it will be difficult to take a breath.
In fact, almost no flat stretches characterize the succession which opens with the ascent of the Roncola towards the Valpiana pass, where the gradients will soar up to 17%. Bernenno, Passo della Crocetta, Zambla Alta and Passo di Ganda will follow seamlessly. The conclusion of the last ascent will be in Selvino, from where you will descend towards 9 km approach to the city with passage inside Upper Bergamo.
Entertainment guaranteed for the public in this last stretch of the city, with the runners who will climb to Porta Garibaldi and through 200 meters of cobblestones they will go up Wide Open with slopes in the initial part always above 10%.
1,800 meters from the finish line, a sharp turn followed by a narrow passage will take them over Porta Sant’Agostino and after a final turn to join the long straight towards the finish line. The difference in altitude of over 4,300 with which the athletes will face this last stretch of the city will not fail to make the challenge for victory epic, centered by Tadej Pogačar in the last two editions.
The Slovenian will be present again this year in search of the hat-trick. There will also be veterans of the Vuelta next to him Primoz Roglic e Remco Evenepoel. For the Frenchman of Groupama FDJ Thibaut Pinotwho won the race in 2018, will be the last race of his career.
The details of the climbs
The Madonna del Ghisallo is always fascinating, but will be addressed shortly after departure. It will help put some height difference in the runners’ legs and could be the springboard for the day’s breakaway.
The second climb that the runners will have to overcome is that of Roncola, a classic for those who cycle in these areas. 9.4 km at 6.6%, but the average gradient is a lie, since the initial and final parts are easy. There are in the middle 6 km at almost 9%, with maximum peaks of 17%.
Immediately after the Roncola, Lombardy 2023 foresees the rise to Berbennoanother historic climb, but not prohibitive: 6.8 km at 4.6%.
The runners will then start climbing again at km 150, towards Crocetta Pass: 11 km at 6.2%, but with peaks at 11%. After the summit you descend slightly for 3 km, before immediately starting to climb towards Zambla Alta, first slightly, then with more grim slopes.
Overall we could also consider these two ascents as a single long climb of 24 km which will act as a prelude to the decisive point of the race, that is, the Passo della Ganda.
Il Ganda Pass it measures 9.2 km and has an average gradient of more than 7%, with the last 2.5 km constantly around 10%. This is where the small group (or perhaps even a single runner) will emerge and compete in the race.
If the game isn’t over yet, there’s room for one last attempt on the ramps leading towards Upper Bergamo.
For other info illombardia.it.
Below are the data from Pogacar’s victory in 2022:
Nuovo KOM sul Civiglio: i dati di Pogačar e Mas
