At the dusk of an exciting and dynamic cycling season, we’ll have a chance to observe another picturesque Giro di Lombardia race. Also known as only Il Lombardia, this single-day race will be held on October 12, 2024.
A year dominated by the Slovenians Pogačar and Roglič was also an Olympic year. The twist in this season’s plot was the absence of these two remarkable cyclists from the Olympic races in Paris. Belgian Remco Evenepoel used this opportunity and celebrated a double victory, having won both the road race and the time trial.
A little less than a month before the Il Lombardia race, the predictions regarding the winner of this competition are somewhat mixed. While most analysts are in unison in giving Pogačar the best odds (+150), followed by Evenepoel (+300), and Roglič (+400), these could easily change on the eve of the race. So, those fond of testing their cycling prediction skills should keep following the analyses until the race itself. It’s also smart to register to an iGaming site and obtain insights and incentives on time or opt for a no-verification betting site, to enjoy the benefit of anonymity. Betting expert Joe Napier also highlights that such platforms enable faster payouts and an especially smooth experience for crypto punters.
Now, let’s dig into the race itself and see what makes Giro di Lombardia so interesting.
One of the Five Cycling Monuments
Il Lombardia is one of the five traditional classic cycling races called the Five Monuments. Competitors receive points for their placement in these races for the UCI World Tour, in which the Monument races belong to the third category (Tour de France being alone in the first category, while Vuelta and Giro d’ Italia in second).
What all the Monuments have in common is that they’re held in the course of a single day, plus, each of them is between 240 and 300 km long.
The reigning all-time king of the Monuments is Belgian Eddy Merckx, with 19 titles altogether.
In 2024, we’ve had four different winners in the four Monument races held so far.
Merckx’s compatriot Jasper Philipsen won the first race of the Monument series this year: the Milan-San Remo beauty, held on March 16, 2024. Pogačar came second, and Mathieu van der Poel took the third position.
The second race was the Tour of Flanders, ridden on March 31, 2024, from Antwerp to Oudenaarde. Van der Poel won this competition, ahead of Luca Mozzato and Nils Politt.
On April 7, the Monuments series moved to France, for the famous Paris-Roubaix race. Again, Dutch athlete Mathieu van der Poel outcycled the rest of the crew, followed by Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen.
The fourth race – Liège–Bastogne–Liège – was ridden on April 21, and Tadej Pogačar was the first cyclist to cross the finishing line in Liège. Romain Bardet took second place, while Van der Poel came third.
Pogačar’s Winning Streak
Even though he decided not to compete in the Paris Olympics, Pogačar is still the most prominent and most successful cyclist this season. Having won the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, he pulled out of the Olympics and Vuelta to prepare physically and mentally for the year’s end. His form is excellent as proven by his recent win at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.
With three consecutive Il Lombardia victories under his wheels, this year Pogačar can tie Fausto Coppi’s record. The famous Italian cyclist won Giro di Lombardia four times in a row in the 1940s (1946, 1947, 1948, and 1949), with an additional win in 1954. Pogačar, born in 1998, is yet to enter the best cycling years, and he’s already conquered most of the key races in the world of cycling.
If he rides his bike first across the finishing line in Como on October 12, it will be his fourth consecutive Il Lombardia title. With this success, Pogačar will become the most successful competitor in the 21st century at any of the Monuments races.
Route of the 2024 Giro di Lombardia
The Il Lombardia 2024 will start in Bergamo and finish in Como, with dozens of ascents, descents, and sprint rides along the way. The length of this year’s race will be 252 km, and it will feature some of the most demanding ascents in the annual calendar of races.
The breathtaking views of the Alps and Lake Como make this route one of the most beloved races by spectators. Those who want to go and see this race in person can learn more about the area and the race itself, so they can plan the trip, stay, and best spectators’ spots on time.
The Finishing Line(s)
If you want to witness the closing credits of the 2024 cycling season, choose your standing position for the Il Lombardia race and root for your favorite competitors. And if northern Italy isn’t on your itinerary this October, don’t miss this race on TV. You might see history in the making if Pogačar wins his fourth title in a row; and if he doesn’t, you’ll still be witnessing a huge surprise, given the results of the major cycling races and tours this year.
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