The final Monument of the 2026 European season, Il Lombardia, will bring Bahrain Victorious’ Italian campaign to a close on Saturday, 10 October. The 120th edition of the Race of the Falling Leaves will start in Bergamo and finish in Como after 239 kilometres, nine climbs and approximately 4,600 metres of elevation gain.

Traditionally regarded as the toughest of the five Monuments, Il Lombardia once again offers a route designed for the strongest climbers. After leaving Bergamo, the peloton will immediately face a demanding opening section through Val Seriana, featuring the Colle dei Pasta, with the summit at Bocche di Gavarno, followed by Selvino, Colle di Berbenno and Valpiana.

After a flatter section, the race will enter the rolling roads of Alta Brianza, where the riders will tackle the new Giovenzana approach to Colle Brianza before the iconic Ghisallo, which reaches gradients of up to 14%.

The finale will feature two ascents of San Fermo della Battaglia, as well as the decisive Civiglio climb. At 4.2 kilometres in length and averaging 9.7%, with ramps of up to 14%, Civiglio could provide the launchpad for the winning move. The final ascent of San Fermo della Battaglia — 2.7 kilometres at 7.2% — comes inside a 22-kilometre finishing circuit in Como.

Roman Kreuziger, Bahrain Victorious Sports Director:

“We want to exit from the last Monument without any regret. Yesterday at Gran Piemonte, the team put in a strong performance approaching the finale, but unfortunately, we couldn’t deliver the podium we would have loved to celebrate on Damiano Caruso’s final race, with Afonso Eulálio finishing seventh.

“Achieving a podium with the strong field we have at Il Lombardia would be difficult, but a top-ten result could be great anyway. We will try to achieve it with Lenny Martinez, alongside Pello Bilbao, our road captain at his last race of his career. We hope he can enjoy the last Monument, knowing that we can rely on his motivation and very good shape.

“We have a strong squad, including some talented climbers such as Buitrago, Tiberi, Zambanini and the young Omrzel, who will be making his Il Lombardia debut. We have a very tough start through the first 90 kilometres and they will be ready to join a big break.

“Fran Miholjevic is also making his debut at Il Lombardia and he will be precious in supporting in the bunch. In the second part, it will all be about the legs, and positioning on the key climbs will be crucial, as will keeping a good position on the descents.

“Let’s do our best to honour the last Monument of the season and the final Classics race for a rider like Bilbao.”

Just days after the team celebrated Damiano Caruso’s final professional race at Gran Piemonte, Bahrain Victorious will see another of its experienced riders take his final professional pedal stroke at Il Lombardia.

Pello Bilbao announced earlier this season that he would retire from professional cycling, and now he is making Il Lombardia the final chapter of a distinguished career.

For the 36-year-old Basque rider, the race will be a final opportunity to compete on some of the most demanding roads in professional cycling and to close his career at one of the sport’s most prestigious Classics.

Pello Bilbao ahead of his last dance at Lombardia:

“And so, the final day has arrived. Several months have passed since I made the decision to retire and announced it at Itzulia, my home race, in front of my fans. During that time, I’ve been able to savour every moment on the bike with greater awareness and appreciation.

“I’ve also enjoyed some sporting highlights along the way. My sixth place at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, fourth place at Eschborn-Frankfurt and a top-five finish at San Sebastián, not to mention the Vuelta, where we achieved some excellent results as a team, will make the memories of my final year as a professional even more special.

“That was exactly what I wanted: to end my career with a year in which I could remain competitive and play a leading role. And that’s how I’ll approach Il Lombardia tomorrow. It’s a Classic that suits me well, and I won’t hold anything back. I want to finish on a high.”