Tour of Lombardy 2015: The Route

Sunday, October 4th, 2015 - Overall the 2015 Tour of Lombardy is last year's route in reverse. Back then the riders headed from Como to Bergamo, this edition it is the other way around. The last classic on the cycling-calendar totals 245 kilometres and features both the Madonna de Ghisallo and Muro di Sormano. With a steepest section at 20%, San Fermo della Battaglia is the 2.7 kilometres closing climb, crested with 4.6 kilometres left.

The first climb is Colle Gallo, a 7.43 kilometres obstacle that looms after 60 kilometres in the saddle. It is a picturesque climb to the northeast of Bergamo.

After passing through the departure town again, riders head west on nearly flat roads. With around 120 kilometres done Colle Brianza is crested, back in the road book after a one year hiatus. On a ridge it goes to Villa Vergano and then comes the drop to Lecco that was in the finale of the 2012 and 2013 editions, both won by Purito. Unlike then the riders don’t storm over the Ponte Kennedy into the city of Lecco, but pass Lago di Annone and Lago di Pusiano to head for the peninsula that was at the heart of the Tour of Lombardy for so many occasions, including this year’s.

After a section on the shores of Lago di Como the renowned Madonna del Ghisallo lays waiting. The climb goes up by an average grade of 6.2%, but this is just part of the story. The middle section is flat if not descending, so the real climb is never under 9%. To welcome the riders the steepest section of 14% is at the bottom of the ascent.

The next climb is more like a barricade. The Wall of Sormano is a 1.92 kilometres monster at 17% with steepest sections at 27%. After debuting in the Tour of Lombardy in the sixties, the climb was ignored for decades before its glorious come-back in 2012 and 2013. But it never was as close the finish line as in 2015, only 50 kilometres.

Following a beautiful drop to Lago di Como riders head for the first passage in Como and then a local round in 20 kilometres, featuring two climbs, starting with the Civiglio – 4.17 kilometres at 9.8% – and after 11.3 kilometres the San Fermo della Battaglia is crested. The last climb of the 2015 Tour of Lombardy is 2.7 kilometres at 7.2% and the steepest section of 20% is just under the top. The race closes with a 4.6 kilometres drop.

Results/race report 2015 Tour of Lombardy.