96th Giro di Lombardia - CDM

Italy, October 19, 2002

2001 Results    Preview    Start List    Live coverage    Results    Past Winners

Preview

By Jeff Jones

The final round of this year's World Cup is the Giro di Lombardia, in its 98th year this year, with only a two year break during the Second World War when it wasn't held. The race also is the third and final part of the "Trittico Rosa" series, which consists of three great Italian classics: Milano-Torino (October 16), Giro del Piemonte (October 17) and the Giro di Lombardia (October 19). Lombardia is the longest and toughest of all of them, and has rightly earned its place as one of the 'monuments' of cycling.

This year's race starts in Cantù, finishing 251 km later in Bergamo via a fairly circuitous route. The parcours is quite hilly, including the Madonna del Ghisallo climb (754m, 70 km), Colle del Gallo (763m, 162 km), Selvino (962m, 190 km), Berbenno (665m, 223 km), and the short but steep Colle Aperto climb with 4 km to go. It is definitely a strong climber's race, as a look at the past winners reveals.

This year's edition will see the final showdown between Paolo Bettini and Johan Museeuw for the World Cup. With Bettini in the lead just 9 points ahead of Museeuw, it's quite possible that either of them could win, although the parcours certainly favours Bettini. There is an academic chance that Igor Astarloa (Saeco) could win the World Cup if a) he wins Lombardy and b) neither Bettini or Museeuw place, but that is highly unlikely.

Solid contenders for Lombardy include the in-form Tuscan Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo), recent winner of Milan Turin and very keen to win on Saturday. Bartoli's best placing in this race is (surprisingly) only third in 1995, but he will be certainly be a danger man on Saturday.

Another top favourite is Phonak's Oscar Camenzind, winner in 1998 and who finished just behind Bartoli in Milan-Turin. Camezind was strong in last weekend's World Championships, and is another rider in good shape at the end of the season.

The aforementioned Igor Astarloa (Saeco) will have a very strong team at his disposal, with two past winners Danilo di Luca and Mirko Celestino, along with Fabio Sacchi and Gilberto Simoni. Saeco certainly have plenty of options for Lombardy, and seem determined to end the season on a high note.

Other riders to watch for in the Race of the Falling Leaves include Rabobank's Michael Boogerd and CSC-Tiscali's Jakob Storm Piil, winner of the previous round of the World Cup, Paris-Tours.

Cyclingnews will provide live coverage of the Giro di Lombardia starting 15:00 CEST/06:00 PDT/09:00 EDT/23:00 Aust. EST.

Past winners

2001

 1. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Cantina Tollo     256 kms (38.847 km/h)
 2. Giuliano Figueras (Ita) Ceramiche Panaria-Fiordo
 3. Michael Boogerd (Ned) Rabobank

2000

 1. Raimondas Rumsas (Ltu) Fassa Bortolo   258 kms (40.892 km/h)
 2. Francesco Casagrande (Ita) Vini Caldirola-Sidermec
 3. Niklas Axelsson (Swe) Ceramica Panaria-Gaerne

1999

 1. Mirko Celestino (Ita) Polti            262 kms (41.17 km/h)
 2. Danilo Di Luca (Ita) Cantina Tollo
 3. Eddy Mazzoleni (Ita) Saeco

1998

 1. Oscar Camenzind (Swi)                  253 kms (42.282 km/h)
 2. Michael Boogerd (Ned)
 3. Felice Puttini (Swi)

1997

 1. Laurent Jalabert (Fra)                 250 kms (43.013 km/h)
 2. Paolo Lanfranchi (Ita)
 3. Francesco Casagrande (Ita)

1996

 1. Andrea Tafi (Ita)                      250 kms (42.642 km/h)
 2. Fabian Jeker (Swi)
 3. Axel Merckx (Bel)

1995

 1. Gianni Faresin (Ita)                   252 kms (42.116 km/h)
 2. Daniele Nardello (Ita)
 3. Michele Bartoli (Ita)

1994

 1. Vladislav Bobrik (Rus)                 244 kms (34.378 km/h)
 2. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita)
 3. Pascal Richard (Swi)

1993

 1. Pascal Richard (Swi)                   242 kms (39.821 km/h)
 2. Giorgio Furlan (Ita)
 3. Max Sciandri (Ita)

1992

 1. Tony Rominger (Swi)                    241 kms (39.311 km/h)
 2. Claudio Chiappucci (Ita)
 3. David Cassani (Ita)

1991

 1. Sean Kelly (Ire)                       242 kms (39.176 km/h)
 2. Martial Gayant (Fra)
 3. Franco Ballerini (Ita)

1990

 1. Gilles Delion (Fra)                    246 kms (39.704 km/h)
 2. Pascal Richard (Swi)
 3. Charly Mottet (Fra)

1989

 1. Tony Rominger (Swi)                    260 kms (38.368 km/h)
 2. Gilles Delion (Fra)
 3. Luc Roosen (Bel)

1988

 1. Charly Mottet (Fra)                    260 kms (38.134 km/h)
 2. Gianni Bugno (Ita)
 3. Marino Lejaretta (Spa)

1987

 1. Moreno Argentin (Ita)                  265 kms (38.576 km/h)
 2. Eric Van Lancker (Bel)
 3. Marc Madiot (Fra)

1986

 1. G.B. Baronchelli (Ita)                 262 kms (37.329 km/h)
 2. Sean Kelly (Ire)
 3. Phil Anderson (Aus)

1985

 1. Sean Kelly (Ire)                       255 kms (41.208 km/h)
 2. Adri Van Der Poel (Ned)
 3. Charly Mottet (Fra)

1984

 1. Bernard Hinault (Fra)                  251 kms (40.831 km/h)
 2. Ludo Peeters (Bel)
 3. Tuen Van Vliet (Ned)

1983

 1. Sean Kelly (Ire)                       253 kms (39.164 km/h)
 2. Greg Lemond (USA)
 3. Adri Van Der Poel (Ned)

1982

 1. Giuseppe Saronni (Ita)                 248 kms (40.754 km/h)
 2. Pascal Jules (Fra)
 3. Francesco Moser (Ita)

1981

 1. Hennie Kuiper (Ned)                    259 kms (39.642 km/h)
 2. Moreno Argentin (Ita)
 3. Alfredo Chinetti (Ita)

1980

 1. Alfons de Wolf (Bel)                   255 kms (35.747 km/h)
 2. Alfredo Chinetti (Ita)
 3. Ludo Peeters (Bel)

1979 Bernard Hinault (Fra)
1978 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1977 G.B. Baronchelli (Ita)
1976 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1975 Francesco Moser (Ita)
1974 Roger De Vlaeminck (Bel)
1973 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1972 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1971 Eddy Merckx (Bel)
1970 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1969 Jean-Pierre Monseré (Bel)
1968 Herman Van Springel (Bel)
1967 Franco Bitossi (Ita)
1966 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
1965 Tom Simpson (GB)
1964 Gianni Motta (Ita)
1963 Jo De Roo (Ned)
1962 Jo De Roo (Ned)
1961 Vito Taccone (Ita)
1960 Emile Daems (Bel)
1959 Rik Van Looy (Bel)
1958 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
1957 Diego Ronchini (Ita)
1956 André Darrigade (Fra)
1955 Cleto Maule (Ita)
1954 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1953 Bruno Landi (Ita)
1952 Giuseppe Minardi (Ita)
1951 Louison Bobet (Fra)
1950 Renzo Soldani (Ita)
1949 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1948 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1947 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1946 Fausto Coppi (Ita)
1945 Mario Ricci (Ita)
1942 Aldo Bini (Ita)
1941 Mario Ricci (Ita)
1940 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1939 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1938 Cino Cinelli (Ita)
1937 Aldo Bini (Ita)
1936 Gino Bartali (Ita)
1935 Enrico Mollo (Ita)
1934 Learco Guerra (Ita)
1933 Domenico Piemontesi (Ita)
1932 Antonio Negrini (Ita)
1931 Alfredo Binda (Ita)
1930 Michele Mara (Ita)
1929 Piero Fossati (Ita)
1928 Gaetano Belloni (Ita)
1927 Alfredo Binda (Ita)
1926 Alfredo Binda (Ita)
1925 Alfredo Binda (Ita)
1924 Giovanni Brunero (Ita)
1923 Giovanni Brunero (Ita)
1922 Costante Girardengo (Ita)
1921 Costante Girardengo (Ita)
1920 Henri Pelissier (Fra)
1919 Costante Girardengo (Ita)
1918 Gaetano Belloni (Ita)
1917 Philippe Thijs (Bel)
1916 Leopodo Torricelli (Ita)
1915 Gaetano Belloni (Ita)
1914 Lauro Bordin (Ita)
1913 Henri Pelissier (Fra)
1912 Carlo Oriani (Ita)
1911 Henri Pelissier (Fra)
1910 Giovanni Micheletto (Ita)
1909 Giovanni Cuniolo (Ita)
1908 Francois Faber (Lux)
1907 Gustave Garrigou (Fra)
1906 Giuseppe Brambilla (Ita)
1905 Giovanni Gerbi (Ita)

Past winners by Mario Stiehl, www.world-of-cycling.com