On Saturday October 8th, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux will participate for the third time in its history to Il Lombardia (1.UWT), the fifth and last Monument of the season.
The course has been remodeled for this 116th editie, accumulating 4500 climbing meters in 253 kilometer, meaning that it is the longest edition since 2015.
The Passo di Ganda (9.3km at 7.1%), the last difficulty in last year’s edition, this time has to be climbed after 40 kilometer. It is one of the five climbs in the first race half of the Race of the Falling Leaves.
After a rather flat section along the Como Lake, the final is opened by the Madonna del Ghisallo (8.7km at 5.4%), before the first passage of San Fermo della Battaglia (1.9km at 6.7%), followed by Civiglio (4.1km at 10%) and to conclude again San Fermo della Battaglia with its top 5 kilometer before the finish.
Domenico Pozzovivo (6th in 2017 and 2011, 8th in 2018) will be at the start for the fifteenth time in his career, an impressive number which he only shares with Vincenzo Nibali and which on this day is only beaten by Davide Rebellin (16).
He will be accompanied by his compatriots Lorenzo Rota and Simone Petilli and by Jan Bakelants, who participates for the tenth time after his breakaway last year. Quinten Hermans will discover his second Monument in his career after his second place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the spring.
Laurens Huys and Rein Taaramäe complete the selection directed by Valerio Piva and Ioannis Tamouridis. Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert will conclude its campaign of Italian classics this Saturday after obtaining five top ten finishes in six races, including a podium in the Giro dell’Emilia.
« I didn't give in after my illness and abandon at the Vuelta, despite the disappointment. In contrary, I worked hard to be ready in time for the Italian end of the season classics, during an altitude camp on Mount Etna for example. I showed in my last three races that my form is good. I managed to finish on the podium of the Giro dell'Emilia, one of my beloved races, and this in my fourteenth attempt. So I can't wait for my fifteenth Il Lombardia. I did the recon of the final this Friday, even though I know the roads near my Swiss residence very well. It is always good to see the exact parcours, especially because the final was renewed with a double passage of San Fermo della Battaglia. My form at this moment of the season has probably never been so good, so my ambition is to improve my best result also in this Monument. »
