Il Lombardia 2026: French coverage and decisive climbs

Readers in France can use the Eurosport France race page to follow the men's Bergamo–Como race on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The page lists the event as scheduled and brings together race tracking, a rider list and related coverage. The available material does not, however, confirm free access or establish that live video will be available to every user. Check the terms displayed by the platform in France.

The race covers 239 km and 4,600 meters of elevation gain. To understand where victory may be shaped, focus on the sequence of Madonna del Ghisallo, the first ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia, Civiglio and the second San Fermo ascent. After an already demanding opening through the Prealps, this closing block concentrates steep gradients, fast descents and little room to recover from a mistake.

Confirmed date and the start-versus-kilometer-zero distinction

The UCI calendar places Il Lombardia on October 10 as part of the men's 2026 UCI WorldTour. The organizer also identifies this as the 120th edition and confirms the route from Bergamo to Como.

There is an important distinction between the ceremonial departure and kilometer zero, where racing officially begins. The organizer and the French coverage display different clock references because one concerns the departure and the other is tied to kilometer zero. The supplied texts do not explicitly identify the time zone, so those clock times are not reproduced here. To avoid an unsupported conversion, check the official race and broadcast information and the French service on race day.

The opening half starts the selection before the lake

From Bergamo, the peloton initially travels over flatter roads toward the Val Seriana. The Prealpine climbs then begin: Bocche del Gavarno is 3 km at 4.7%; Selvino is 10.1 km at 5.9%; Colle di Berbenno is 4.5 km at 6.3%; and Valpiana is 10.1 km at 6.2%.

This sequence does not need to produce the winning attack to affect the outcome. The accumulated climbing limits recovery and makes later pursuits more expensive. The Giovenzana side of Colle Brianza then adds 3.6 km at 9.2%, followed by a rapid descent into Lecco. It is a useful point to see which teams still have several riders close to their leaders.

Ghisallo opens the decisive phase

After following the Lake Como area from Lecco to Bellagio, the race reaches the classic Ghisallo climb: 8.6 km at 6.2%, with pitches up to 14%. Its combination of length and steeper ramps can support either a sustained acceleration or attacks intended to shrink the group.

The official route description emphasizes that the following descent is very fast, with long straight sections down to Maglio. Ghisallo therefore needs to be read together with what follows: opening a gap is only part of the task; controlling the descent and reaching Como in a good position also matter.

Civiglio is the circuit's hardest concentrated test

On entering Como, the race tackles a 22 km finishing circuit. San Fermo della Battaglia comes first, measuring 2.7 km at 7.2%. After descending and passing the finish line, the riders reach Civiglio: 4.2 km at 9.7%, with gradients close to 10% for almost the entire ascent.

Those figures make Civiglio the most concentrated climbing test of the finale. The organizer also highlights a pronounced narrowing of the road at the summit. Positioning before the climb is consequently valuable: a rider starting too far back may struggle to respond even with legs comparable to those of the leaders.

The second passage over San Fermo

After the Civiglio descent and another crossing of Como, San Fermo appears for a second time. In the final kilometers, its gradient sits near 7%, reaches 10%, and combines a narrow roadway with rough pavement. The summit comes approximately 5 km from the finish.

A descent on a wide, well-paved road follows, including two illuminated tunnels and two broad roundabouts. It ends inside the final kilometer. With 600 meters remaining, a wide left turn leads toward the seven-meter-wide asphalt finishing straight. San Fermo is therefore the last clear chance to separate the contenders, although any advantage still has to survive the descent.

Contenders and what to watch

The organizer's preview places Remco Evenepoel among the leading names after two consecutive runner-up finishes. With five-time defending winner Tadej Pogačar absent, it describes the contest as more open and highlights Brandon McNulty, Isaac Del Toro, Paul Seixas, Tom Pidcock and Giulio Ciccone among the contenders.

Rather than waiting for one definitive attack, watch three indicators: how much the group shrinks on Ghisallo, positioning before Civiglio's road narrowing, and which leaders retain teammates for the second San Fermo ascent. These details help explain the race without turning a forecast into a result.

Sources and image context

The usable attached photographs show Tadej Pogačar passing through Porta San Giacomo during Il Lombardia 2023. The correct Wikimedia Commons pages are the wide photograph by Iaznavi78 and the cropped version derived by Danyele. They provide historical context and do not depict the 2026 edition.

The Castello di Lombardia image from Enna and the landscape of the Sesia river show neither the race nor an identifiable climb on its course, so they are not suitable illustrations for this guide.