Velominati Super Prestige: Il Lombardia 2013

Where is my compact? The Muro di Sormano image: Italian Cycling Journal

Il Lombardia, this is the race of the fallen leaves. This fall classic is a beautiful race in a beautiful region of Italy. The arduous route may change year to year but what does not change is the Italian need to win this thing. There is some national pride at stake here after the Italian men finished off the podium in Firenze. Bergamo to Lecco, 242 km, with five equally spaced climbs between the two. This is the final Monument of the 2013 season, directly on the heels of the World Championships. Purito won the 2012 edition of Il Lombardia and will be energized to win again after his crushing loss in the Worlds. Paulo Bettini won the race in his rainbow jersey, Rui Costa can’t be counted out not to do the same.

Many racers have already shut it down for the season. Finding great form in October is not for everyone. Yet peaking for the World Championships and Il Lombardia has been on the calendar for many of the puncheurs and strong climbers. And many others will be climbing off at the first feed zone, pulling into the Milano Malpensa airport before the race is over.

Yes this is a brutal race often won by a lone rider. Climbing, descending, good bike handling a must when the forecast calls for possible rain (yes it does again this year).

The toughest climb is in the middle of the day.

A few hundred meters after crossing Maglio the race turns to the left into the Muro di Sormano (Sormano Wall) (2 km at 15%) on a narrow and very steep (recently repaired) road, partly running through a grove, featuring steep u-bends and gradients at time exceeding 25% and even coming close to 30% around meter 1.000 of the route.

That should separate the contenders from those dismounting at the second feed zone on the course. The climbs of Madonna del Ghisallo and Villa Vergano are waiting then a final 3 km flat run into Lecco ends it. A proper start list is not yet available as the director sportifs are still calling in the unwilling domestiques to fill out their rosters but for now this will have to do. Good luck and good picking.

Here is a possible video link.

Gianni

Gianni has left the building.

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View Comments

Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 7 2013 at 3:58 pm

Muro di Sormano, Rui Costa.
Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 7 2013 at 4:17 pm

Il Lombardia
Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 7 2013 at 4:20 pm

Quintana
the Engine says:

Oct 7 2013 at 4:28 pm

@Pedale.Forchetta I don't know what your day job is but I'd be seriously considering a career change based on these.
Buck Rogers says:

Oct 7 2013 at 5:45 pm

@Pedale.Forchetta

The Classic of the Falling Leaves is always charged with emotions, either because it's the last race of the season or because the atmosphere indicates the end of the Summer.

This year there was one more reason for a professional cyclist, it was the last time he rode this Classic. Dirk Bellemakers will retire at the end of this year.

The race was finished, he arrived penultimate, more than 20 minutes after Joaquim Rodriguez.

I saw Bellemakers coming from the bottom of the finish straight when almost every photographer were gone. It was late and it was raining.

As an amateur I was still there. I never get tired to see the riders, even the last one.

I started taking some photos of him when he asked me to send them to him as a memory of his days as a pro rider.

At that moment I felt a sense of inadequacy: in a moment so important/intense for him a pro photographer would be better, I thought. But then I also thought that only an amateur would wait till the arriving of the last rider, only an amateur could take those pictures.

Of course I'll send them to him, ciao Dirk.

Perfetto. This is the most perfect post I have ever read on this site. Thank you for that.
Daccordi Rider says:

Oct 7 2013 at 10:31 pm

Inner Ring brilliantly sums up the start of Lombardia.

"The race got off to a traditional start with a new world champion in white, an early breakaway and Andy Schleck abandoning."
Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 8 2013 at 12:16 am

@Daccordi Rider yes that's right but if you scratch a bit the surface a bunch of nice stories will pop up. 3 riders like Pinotti, Zabriskie and Bellemakers annouced their retirement, for example...
wiscot says:

Oct 8 2013 at 11:45 am

@Gianni

@Pedale.Forchetta

Well, then it's a good thing you are an amateur photographer because, as you said, these are the important photos to take. I bet no one got a photo of DZ as he got off his bike somewhere before the finish. Don't you want to finish your last race?

This from Juan Antonio Flecha, I look forward to seeing him out on the water.

"I say goodbye to cycling forever at the Tour of Beijing," he continued. "I cannot wait to finish that race in mid-October and go to Maui, Hawaii, with an open date on the return ticket.

"I'll swap the asphalt for the foam of the waves, the bike for the surfboard, and walk barefoot all day, and be free."

I don't know why DZ climbed of, but I agree, don't you think you'd want to finish your last ride on the bike and not in the team car? Ok, I'm not a professional and I'm well aware what a business the sport can be, but for my own peace of mind, I think I'd do a Dirk - finish the race no matter how far down I was.

I'm putting in an early nomination for Dirk to get ride of the year - a journeyman pro who tried to the end. Could have jacked it in, but applied Rule 5 and finished. An example to us all..
Pedale.Forchetta says:

Oct 8 2013 at 12:47 pm

@wiscot well said.
Roosevelt says:

Feb 22 2014 at 4:53 am

Make it fun and light hearted not an attempt to smoke your partner in the had hit a snowball.
You could search Gooogle for free online lessons or even go too You - Tube to watch a ffew how-to videos.

Evven if it is not your anniversary or there is nothing to
celebrate, women always love their partners to be a little romantic.