Giro di Lombardia
| Tour of Lombardy | |
|---|---|
| Local name: | Giro di Lombardia |
| Region: | Lombardy (Italy) |
| Date: | Mid October |
| Type: | One-day race |
| History | |
| First Edition: | 1905 |
| Editions: | 98 |
| First Winner: | Giovanni Gerbi  |
| Most Recent: | Paolo Bettini |
| Most Wins: | Fausto Coppi , 5 times |
The Tour of Lombardy (Italian: Giro di Lombardia) is an Italian cycling race. It is traditionally the last great Classic of the European professional cycling calendar and since 2005 part of the UCI ProTour. Given that it is held in the autumn season one of its famous nicknames is "the race of the falling leaves".
History
The first edition was in 1905. It was then called Milan-Milan. In 1907 the race was renamed to its current name. During the decades the route has changed many times. Milan, Sesto San Giovanni, Bergamo, Varese, Monza, Cuneo have been start or finish place. In 2004 the race started in Mendrisio in Switzerland, and ended in Como. The most famous obstacle in the Tour of Lombardy is the Madonna del Ghisallo. At the Madonna del Ghisallo there is a shrine with a small museum containing religious and cycling objects and photos.
The most successful rider of the Tour of Lombardy was Fausto Coppi, who won the race 5 times. The most recent edition (2005) was won by Paolo Bettini.
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