On Saturday 1 October Il Lombardia NamedSport will celebrate its 110th edition. The race has been announced today in Bergamo with a brand new course amongst other news. The "Race of the Falling Leaves" organised by RCS Sport/La Gazzetta dello Sport will start in Como and end in Bergamo after 240km with a finale featuring two new climbs that have never been faced before. The last edition's winner was Vincenzo Nibali.

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.

Total elevation
The 110th edition of Il Lombardia is characterised by a challenging total elevation: 4,400m (2015 = 3,500m; 2014 = 3,400m). 65% of the total elevation (around 3,000m) will be faced by the riders in the final 115km, of which around 48km are climbing and only 10km are flat, in between Nembro and Bergamo.

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.

TEAMS
25 teams made of eight riders each will race Il Lombardia NamedSport. 18 UCI WorldTeams will be at the start, plus seven UCI Professional Continental Teams wild cards:

ANDRONI GIOCATTOLI - SIDERMEC (ITA)
BARDIANI CSF (ITA)
CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE (POL)
COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS (FRA)
GAZPROM-RUSVELO (RUS)
NIPPO - VINI FANTINI (ITA)
WILIER TRIESTINA - SOUTHEAST (ITA)

NEW LOGO AND WEBSITE RESTYLING

To celebrate the 110th edition of the race, the logo has been renewed. The rose window outline ideally represents the Madonna del Ghisallo Sanctuary, the signature climb of this race, and has the name of the race in it. The website www.ilombardia.it has been redesigned with new sections rich of news, focusing in particular on video contents.

QUOTES
Paolo Savoldelli, double Giro d'Italia winner, said: "Watching Il Lombardia finishing in Bergamo, my city, is always source of great emotion. The course is really challenging, in particular for the two climbs in the final part. I'm sure this year’s winner will be one of the many champions that were able to win this Classic Monument in the past."

Mauro Vegni, RCS Sport Cycling Director, underlined the importance of this historic race: "This year we celebrate 110 editions, a goal that very few races worldwide have achieved. It's the Classic Monument that characterises the end of the cycling season and brings with it great numbers and great protagonists. We will be broadcasted in 163 countries across the five continents and we will be live in Italy through the Host Broadcaster Rai, every year reaching around one million spectators in our home country. As usual it will be the top riders participating in the race and I'm sure they will make the event the usual great cycling show".
 
RCS Sport Race Director, Stefano Allocchio, described the brand new course: "We've decided to add in the finale two brand new climbs – Sant’Antonio Abbandonato and Miragolo San Salvatore – that will make the course even more selective. Other key climbs will be the Madonna del Ghisallo, the first one to be faced in this edition, Colle Brianza, Valcava and in the finale Selvino and the classic Bergamo Alta short punchy climb, just a few kilometres from the finish line".