Il Lombardia 2026: How to Watch Cycling’s Last Monument

1. The 2026 route: Bergamo to Como via the Madonna del Ghisallo

Bergamo → Como, 120th edition

Free roadside viewing Saturday 10 October 2026 ~16°C / 9°C in October The « falling leaves classic »

The start line is in Bergamo, which becomes Lombardy’s « cycling capital » for the whole weekend: the city also hosts the amateur Gran Fondo Felice Gimondi the following day. According to Sky Sport, RCS race director Stefano Allocchio confirmed a Bergamo departure followed by a large loop through the province before heading for the finish. The race first climbs toward the sanctuary of the Madonna del Ghisallo, the iconic opening ascent where Pope Pius XII declared her the patron saint of cyclists in 1949; the sanctuary now houses a museum holding the world’s largest collection of Giro pink jerseys.

For the finale, RCS Sport has doubled up the toughest climbs of the Como basin: the Civiglio (roughly 4.2 km, never below 8%, ramps beyond 14%) and San Fermo della Battaglia (roughly 2.2 to 2.7 km at 7.2-7.4% average, last cresting five kilometres from the line) are each climbed twice, according to MTBI.it. The finish is judged in Como, around Piazza Cavour and the lakefront, where a joint RCS Sport / municipal survey took place on 21 July 2026 (EspansioneTV). The full route dossier hadn’t been published in its entirety at the time of writing: the commonly cited distance (around 252 km) still needs confirming, and the Muro di Sormano, which has resurfaced on and off throughout the race’s history, isn’t on the announced 2026 programme.

Highlights

• The double ascent of the Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia: two chances to see the race unfold in the same place.
• The climb to the Madonna del Ghisallo, cycling’s own sanctuary and museum, steeped in history since 1919.
• A reversed race direction compared with 2025, which redraws the whole tactical script of the finale.

Pixidia tip: Bergamo and Como aren’t linked by a direct train on race day — you’ll need to change in Milan, a 1h45-2h30 journey. It’s easier to pick one viewing point rather than hope to catch both the start and the finish.

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2. Without Pogačar: a wide-open race

Since 2021, Il Lombardia had known only one winner: Tadej Pogačar, who equalled Fausto Coppi’s record of five wins in 2025. The Slovenian was aiming, in 2026, for a sixth consecutive victory — a feat never achieved in the history of the five Monuments. On 30 August 2026, during stage eight of the Vuelta a España, he crashed heavily around 33 km from the finish: a fractured, surgically repaired left collarbone, a stable fracture of the C7 vertebra, and a concussion, according to the update released by his team and reported by Al Jazeera and the Washington Post. His 2026 season ends there: out of the World Championships and out of Il Lombardia.

His absence reshuffles the deck entirely. Remco Evenepoel, twice the Slovenian’s runner-up (2024 and 2025), is the name most cited by the specialist press as his likely successor, alongside Juan Ayuso, Primož Roglič, Tom Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone, tipped as the home Italian card in the field. No official start list had been published as of mid-September 2026: these are still educated guesses, not an announcement. In terms of spectacle, the absence of one overwhelmingly dominant favourite could change how the race unfolds — in the Pogačar years, the decisive attack often came very early, thinning the front group 30-40 km from the line. In 2026, several contenders could well mark each other for longer, right up to the final hundreds of metres on the Civiglio or San Fermo della Battaglia.

3. Where to watch for free: the best viewing spots

Five spots to watch the race in person

Free access, no ticket needed Roads close ~45 min ahead Pack a waterproof layer Race sets off mid-morning

Unlike a ticketed sport, Il Lombardia can be watched for free along almost the entire course: just pick your spot on the verge, like any other road race. The Madonna del Ghisallo remains the most symbolically loaded location, and there’s traditionally a giant screen set up on the esplanade to follow the rest of the race once the peloton has passed, according to Quicicloturismo. The Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia, both doubled this year, offer two chances to see the riders go by for a single trip. Bergamo’s Città Alta, a UNESCO-listed medieval town, is worth the detour on the start day for the village-race atmosphere, before you head off to catch the early kilometres. In Como, the finish (Piazza Cavour, the lakefront) draws the biggest crowds — and the tightest traffic restrictions.

Highlights

• No ticket needed along almost the whole route.
• The giant screen traditionally set up near the Ghisallo sanctuary.
• Two passes on both the Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia for a single trip.

Pixidia tip: According to ValSerianaNews, roads close roughly 45 minutes before the race is due and don’t reopen until the « end of race » vehicle has gone through. Get there well ahead of time — once the closure kicks in, you won’t be able to cross.

4. Getting to Bergamo and Como without a car

If you’re flying in from the UK, Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY) is the most convenient airport: Ryanair and easyJet run several direct flights a day from London Stansted, with journey times around two hours. BGY is also Ryanair’s biggest Italian hub, with more than 60 destinations served — an ATB bus (line 1) reaches central Bergamo in 15-20 minutes for about €2.60. From Milan Malpensa you’ll need one change to reach Lake Como (Malpensa Express, then a regional train, roughly 1 hour); from Milan Linate, the simplest route to Bergamo is the FlixBus coach. By train, Trenord links Milano Centrale to Como San Giovanni in around 39 minutes and to Bergamo in around 48 minutes, from €5-6 a journey. There’s no direct link between Bergamo and Como, though: budget 1h45-2h30 with a change in Milan.

Once you’re there, it’s easier to leave the car behind: Como’s historic centre enforces a strict limited-traffic zone, tightened in 2026 (bikes and scooters can’t even be wheeled by hand through around thirty streets), and parking is banned from early morning on race days. The Como-Brunate funicular (about 7 minutes, roughly €7.20 return) climbs up to the « balcony of the Alps »; in Bergamo, a funicular links the lower town to the Città Alta for about €1.30 each way. If you’re planning several trips in one day, the regional « io viaggio ovunque in Lombardia » (IVOL) pass covers the whole Trenord network unlimited.

5. Where to stay to follow the race

Lake Como is in high demand all year round: booking several months ahead is strongly recommended for an early-October weekend. Expect to pay €60-120 a night on average for 2-3 star hotels or B&Bs, more around Bellagio or right on the lakefront. Cycle tourists often favour addresses right on the Madonna del Ghisallo road, above Bellagio, to follow the race without a long trip on the day. In Bergamo, staying in the Città Alta gives you the start-town atmosphere; the lower town, a few minutes away by funicular, stays more affordable.

The cheapest option is to base yourself in Milan, which is very well connected by train to both towns in under an hour. To plan a longer trip combining Milan and Lake Como beyond just race weekend, the Milan and Lake Como in 3 days itinerary lays out a couple’s city break taking in the Duomo, Pinacoteca di Brera and a day trip to Varenna and Bellagio. For a lighter solo trip, the solo Milan, 4 days with Lake Como itinerary combines The Last Supper, the Duomo and a lakeside escape on a manageable budget.

6. Things to combine: lakes, old towns and Franciacorta

Around Como, Bellagio (the « pearl of the lake ») strings together cobbled streets, the gardens of the Villa Melzi and silk craft workshops; Varenna offers its lakeside « lovers’ walk » and the Castello di Vezio above it, a 20-minute ferry ride from Bellagio. In town, Como’s Gothic-Renaissance Duomo is free to visit, and the Museo della Seta tells the story of the city’s silk-industry golden age. To plan these day trips without improvising on the ground, our selection Lake Como from Milan: 10 day trips to book covers boat cruises, cooking classes and guided tours.

About thirty minutes from Bergamo, Lake Iseo hides Monte Isola, mainland Europe’s largest lake island, with its fishing villages and the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Ceriola at the top. Just south of there, the Franciacorta area (Brescia province) makes sparkling wine using the traditional method, an easy day trip from either Bergamo or Milan. On the Bergamo side, the Città Alta unfurls its UNESCO-listed Venetian walls (added in 2017), Piazza Vecchia and the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore; on the food side, casoncelli alla bergamasca and polenta taragna sit alongside the lake’s missoltino (dried shad) and grilled lavarello — two local specialities most visitors never get to try.

7. Overtourism and safety: what to know

Lake Como is under growing tourism pressure: according to The Como Companion, the small village of Brunate (1,600 residents) logged 1.43 million visits between July and September 2026, and Varenna (around 650 residents) now fines shirtless tourists up to €200 in its historic centre. That backdrop makes it all the more worth booking accommodation and activities in advance rather than improvising on race day.

On the safety side, an incident from 2020 still lingers in the peloton’s memory: a private car that had got onto the course caused Maximilian Schachmann’s crash (a fractured collarbone), while Remco Evenepoel crashed the same day into a ravine near the Muro di Sormano, fracturing his pelvis. The UCI opened an investigation into organiser RCS Sport at the time, pointing out that WorldTour races require roads to be fully closed at all times (UCI statement). Road closure measures have been tightened year on year since. Finally, Il Lombardia falls right in Lombardy’s autumn rainy season: in 2024, heavy rainfall caused landslides and forced a mid-season route change — a reminder that weather remains a decisive factor for « the falling leaves classic ».