{"id":1629,"date":"2023-03-07T13:39:16","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T12:39:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=1629"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:31:06","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:31:06","slug":"cycling-in-northern-italy-on-the-trail-of-il-lombardia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/fietsen-in-noord-italie-in-het-spoor-van-il-lombardia","title":{"rendered":"Cycling in Northern Italy: On the trail of Il Lombardia"},"content":{"rendered":"

The cycling season in Italy starts with Strade Bianche,<\/a> Tirreno-Adriatico and La Primavera (for the non-experts Milan \u2013 San Remo) and ends with Il Lombardia<\/a>, The Tour of Lombardy. Funny coincidence between the two races: they are usually decided on the final climb, although the Tour of Lombardy has a course that is more distinctive. Cycling in Northern Italy is cycling around the lakes of Como, Lago Maggiore and Lago di Varese. Very beautiful! We went along (part of) the route of this autumn race and there are a lot of beautiful gems to discover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Como<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The town of Como is located in the western part of Lombardy. The adjacent (and named after the town) lake is a popular holiday destination for cycling enthusiasts, but also for the \u2019happy few\u2019. It is said that George Clooney can be seen sipping an espresso there. Lombardy itself is extremely vast. The eastern side borders Lake Garda, and on the north side are the well-known cycling areas around the Stelvio<\/a> And Livigno and in the south it runs past Milan to Piacenza. So big! The Lombardy race finishes one year in the fashionable Comi, the other year the finish is in Bergamo. The two cities alternate the starting and finishing point every few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Cycling<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Iconic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the highlights of the Lombardy Tour is the climb of the Madonna del Ghisallo. This climb, which you can start from two sides, is located just south of Bellagio. Why is this Madonna so iconic? She is the patron saint of all cyclists. During the race, the riders ride up from the north side. This is also the most difficult part of the climb. During the climb, bells are rung from the chapel that stands atop the hill. If you are riding this climb yourself, stopping at the chapel is a no-brainer. The chapel alone is sacred ground. There are photos and relics of Coppi, Bartali, Casartelli and more. The chapel was once consecrated and you can ask for the blessing of Madonna here (if you wish).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Chapel of Madonna del Ghisallo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Next to the chapel you\u2019ll find the statues of the Italian cycling greats: Coppi, Bartali and Binda. A little further on is the cycling museum. It\u2019s also worth a visit, but it does require a fee. Here you can see, among other things, many old pink jerseys (Breukink\u2019s is one of them) and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climbing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The climb, which reaches an altitude of 758m, can be climbed from Bellagio and from Canzo. From Bellagio it goes straight up, with sections of 10% with an incline of 14.5%! After a few kilometers it flattens out a bit, but the last 3 kilometers are still quite steep. Once up, the victory awaits then. On the other hand, from Canzo it is actually more of a training climb that goes up 10km at an average of 3.8%. That\u2019s just enough time to warm up. Once you\u2019ve warmed up and descend towards Canzo, you have to turn right after a few kilometers, towards Sormano. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Madonna del Ghisallo<\/a>, Bellagio, Italy<\/p>\u2022 Distance: 8.6 km, Elevation gain: 506 m, Average grade: 7.1 %<\/blockquote>