Marco Pinotti of the BMC Racing Team will start Sunday's Il Lombardia for the final time after announcing Thursday that the 2013 season will be the last of a professional career that began in 1999.

Three Leaders For The Race

The reigning and six-time Italian national time trial champion will be joined on the start line by past world road champion Philippe Gilbert, winner of the race in 2009 and 2010. Pinotti said he will feel a mixture of enjoyment and sadness as he begins the 242-kilometer fall classic.

"From one side, I know it is good feeling to stop while bring competitive as I can enjoy the training and the approach to the last races," he said. "On the other side, I guess it's normal to feel a bit sad for an exciting chapter of life that is closing. Lombardia also takes place on the roads I've been training on during my career, so the feeling will be even more profound and deep."

The Italian has won to ITT in the Giro and two TTT together with the HTC team. His best result in the GC was from 2009, where he finished 9th, 14 minutes after the winner Ivan Basso.

BMC Racing Team President/General Manager Jim Ochowicz said Pinotti will remain with the team and work within its new Sports Science Division for the 2014 season. Past world road champion Cadel Evans had planned to start the race, Assistant Director Fabio Baldato said, but is still nursing injuries from a crash Sunday at the world championships.

"Even without Cadel, we start with three leaders: Philippe, Greg Van Avermaet and Tejay van Garderen," Baldato said. "For sure, Philippe is motivated after his bad crash here last year in the downhill. And around those three we have a very strong team."

BMC Racing Team Il Lombardia Roster (Oct. 6):

Marcus Burghardt (GER), Mathias Frank (SUI), Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Marco Pinotti (ITA), Manuel Quinziato (ITA), Ivan Santaromita (ITA), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Tejay van Garderen (USA).