Il Lombardia 2019

The road

At the start

The race of the falling leaves

The last Monument of the year runs 243 kilometres from Bergamo to Como over four thousand metres of climbing — the Ghisallo, the Sormano, the Civiglio, San Fermo. Thibaut Pinot is not here to defend and Alaphilippe has already shut his season down. Primož Roglič is here: fresh from his first Grand Tour, winner of the Emilia and the Tre Valli inside a week. Bernal, Valverde and Woods line up against him.

How it was won

1. 155 km to go

   Up to the Madonna del Ghisallo

   Along the shores of Lake Como and through Bellagio, the race hits the 8.6km climb to the cyclists' chapel. Masnada leads the break's remnants past the ringing bells while behind him the rising tempo starts shaking riders out of the peloton.

2. 238 km to go

   The Muro di Sormano

   The Sormano is barely two kilometres but zigzags up at 15.8 per cent, ramps touching 27. Ineos send their climbers to the front and Bob Jungels' long solo bid burns out — over the top a select group of thirty leaders and helpers is all that remains.

3. 317 km to go

   Mollema attacks on the Civiglio

   On the penultimate climb, in a brief lull, Bauke Mollema jumps clear and nobody answers. The Dutchman stretches his lead past thirty seconds up the Civiglio's 10-per-cent ramps, and suddenly the biggest race of the autumn is slipping through the favourites' fingers.

4. 410 km to go

   Roglič counters

   Primož Roglič, twice a winner in the past week, launches after Mollema with 9.6km to go and opens a gap on the rest — but for all his form he cannot make a dent in the leader's advantage.

5. 55 km to go

   San Fermo della Battaglia

   On the final climb Roglič is reeled in by a group bristling with Bernal, Valverde, Woods and Fuglsang — but the firepower lacks cohesion, and Mollema crests the last summit with more than twenty seconds still in hand.

6. 6At the line

   Mollema takes his Monument

   Down the breakneck descent into Como Mollema holds on for the biggest win of his career and a first Monument, while behind him Valverde and Bernal can only sprint for the minor podium places.

The result