Tour of Lombardy 2017: The Route

Saturday, 7 October 2017 - The Tour of Lombardy runs from Bergamo to Como. The last Classic on the cycling-calendar totals 247 kilometres and takes in an altitude gain of around 4,000 metres. Iconic climbs up Madonna de Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano are featured, while the punchy San Fermo della Battaglia leads to the 5.3 kilometres drop to the line.

Colle Gallo is the warm-up climb in this year’s Tour of Lombardy. Looming after around 50 kilometre, it’s a 7.4 kilometres climb at 6%. The peak lies to the northeast of Bergamo.

After passing through the departure town again, riders head west on flat to gently rolling roads. They crest Colle Brianza and on a ridge it goes to Villa Vergano before a drop to Lecco. Not entering the city, the route runs back to Lago di Annone and Lago di Pusiano before heading for the peninsula that was at the heart of the Tour of Lombardy for so many occasions, including this year’s.

Via Valbrona the riders drop down to Onno and following a section on the shores of Lago di Como the renowned Madonna del Ghisallo lays waiting. The iconic climb is 8.6 kilometres and averaging 6.2%, yet this merely an indication. As the middle section is flat if not descending, the other sections are 9% or more. The climb welcomes the riders with the steepest section of 14% right at the bottom.

Next up is the Colma di Sormano, which is a doable prelude to the inhumanly steep Muro di Sormano. The Colma di Sormano a regular 5.2 kilometres climb at 6.6% and moments after passing through the village Sormano the route turns left and a of a sudden the world looks different. The Muro is narrow 1.92 kilometres climb with an average gradient of 17% and steepest sections at 27%. After debuting in the Tour of Lombardy in the sixties, the climb was ignored for decades before it made a glorious come-back in 2012. Since then the Muro did feature in Il Lombardia in 2013 and 2015.

Following a beautiful drop to Nesso, the riders turn left and race along the shores of Lago di Como. At the first passage in Como there are 20 kilometres left to race. The final lap takes in two climbs, starting with the Civiglio, which is 4.2 kilometres climb at 9.8% with steepest ramps of 14%. Straight after the drop it goes back up again on San Fermo della Battaglia – 2.7 kilometres at 7.2% and the steepest stretch of 10% is just under the top. The race concludes with a 5.3 kilometres drop.

The 2015 Tour of Lombardy was played out on the same route. Vincenzo Nibali attacked on the descent of the Civiglio and won the race 21 seconds ahead of the first chaser, Daniel Moreno. Thibaut Pinot came in third.