The Pro Tour season closes with the Race of the Falling Leaves. 255k from Como to Bergamo. The key sequence of climbs starts with the Colle del Pasta with about 110k to go, then it is the Colle Gallo, Passo di Ganda, the largest climb on the stage, then Bracca, the Forcella di Berbenno and finally, peaking just 5k from the finish, Bergamo Alta.
The stage favorites are led by last year’s winner and this year’s Giro champion Herklotz. In addition to the glory of victory we have a huge subtext with the PT title to be decided today. Gazelle and Tinkoff start the race just 17 points apart. Neither puts a rider on the favorites but they have serious contenders in Dombrowski, Sivakov and Skujins, both teams bring very deep squads, the pressure will be on Tinkoff to find an edge as they start the day behind.
Herklotz would match two landmarks if he wins today, he would be only the second rider to win back-to-back Lombardia’s (Ponzi 2015 and 2016) and the second to do the Giro/Lombardia double (Cunego 2014).
(A nod to Pro Cycling Stats on the format today, this took a lot of effort so it won’t be repeated any time soon).
In addition to leading the PT in points Herklotz is also 1 of only 7 riders to get to double digit wins this year.
Rider
Wins
Matteo Jorgenson
14
Tom Wirtgen
12
Caleb Ewan
12
Lachlan Morton
11
Silvio Herklotz
11
Sam Oomen
10
Fernando Gaviria
10
It is a bright Autumn day, De Kleijn is the first attacker. Mangame legend Bobridge is one of his teammates. It might be the Australian’s last race ever today although he will likely take a shot at winning his 5th national title later this month (previously he won in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2023)
Top 5 when Bobridge won his first national title in 2015.
1
Jack Bobridge
Oz Cycling Project
1h42'56
2
Travis Meyer
Risa - Ergon
+ 20
3
Matthew Lloyd
Lululemon/Bulgaria Blackfish
+ 39
4
Nathan Haas
Risa - Ergon
+ 1'23
5
William Walker
Compal-Merida
s.t.
14k gone, 5 riders out front with a lead of 1’40. Peloton has been shutting down additional attacks. In the break along with De Kleijn are O'Connor, Gloag, Stehli, and Miquel.
Points rank through September of initial riders in the early break.
Rank
Rider
Team
Points
370
Pau Miquel
ZARA - Irizar
82
371
Thomas Gloag
cycleYorkshire
81
383
Ben O'Connor
Assa Abloy
77
415
Felix Stehli
Jura GIANTS
68
439
Arvid De Kleijn
Fastned
60
The attacks continue but are all shut down and with 25k gone things settle down with the 5 above out front. Their lead is 2’52.
Two former Lombardia winners are definitely retiring after this season: Simone Ponzi (2015, 2016, 2018) and Edvald Boassen Hagen (2019). Boassen Hagen finished in the top 30 on 10 occasions including a win and a second, but Ponzi has a legitimate argument to be the most successful Lombardia rider ever. An argument he probably wins with the other 3-time winner Cunego. Ponzi finished in the top 10 of the race for 9 consecutive years including 6 consecutive podiums.
Top 20’s by Ponzi at Lombardia
Year
Finish
Team
2012
4th
Wiggle - San Pellegrino
2013
9th
Wiggle Professional Cycling Team
2014
5th
Good Energy
2015
1st
Good Energy
2016
1st
Kenya Airways - Dimension Data
2017
3rd
Hugo Boss
2018
1st
Hugo Boss
2019
3rd
Fablok - Bank BGZ
2020
3rd
Team UBS
Top 20s by Cunego at Lombardia
Year
Finish
Team
2007
6th
Lampre - Fondital
2008
12th
La Gazzetta Dello Sport
2009
1st
La Gazzetta Dello Sport
2010
4th
La Gazzetta Dello Sport
2011
7th
La Gazzetta Dello Sport
2012
1st
Café de Colombia
2013
4th
Lotto - Cervelo
2014
1st
Lotto - Australia Post
2016
12th
VisitUkraine p/b Nemirof
The peloton is on the only major climb in the first half of the race but it is a very famous one – the Madonna del Ghisallo (11.4k at 4.7%). The break’s lead is 6’12. On the front ahead of the World Champion are: Ansons, Van Den Berg, Eaton, Veyhe, Toupalik, Stork, Schreurs. Van Wilder, and Cemazar. Ponzi is also the only rider to win Lombardia while wearing the rainbow bands (2018), another landmark Herklotz could match.
Teams with Double Digit Wins this Season
Spoiler
Newton Foundation p/b Zwift
22
Aker - MOT
21
ISA - Hexacta
19
Tryg - Eni
19
cycleYorkshire
17
Simba Cement - Tanga Fresh
17
Xero Racing
16
Indosat Ooredoo
16
Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo PCTeam
16
Team Puma - SAP
15
Evonik - ELKO
15
Benetton Bimex Cycling
15
EA Vesuvio
13
Lotto-Caloi
13
Moser - Sygic
13
Polar
12
McCormick Pro Cycling
12
Gjensidige Pro Cycling Team
12
Assa Abloy
11
Team UBS
11
Manada Coyote
11
Carlsberg - Danske Bank
11
Cedevita
10
Trans Looney Tunes
10
Sony - Force India
10
Team Würth MODYF
10
By the time they reach the top the break’s lead is 6’52 having peaked at 7’08. After the descent there is a long flat section before the climbing action really begins.
The only victory recorded by a member of the breakaway was Stehli’s win in the 2023 Deutschland Tour KOM competition.
125k to go, 14k to the Colle Del Pasta, the gap is down to 3’29.
Moser contributing to the chase, they need a big result from Kudus to avoid relegation. The good news for them is the last time a TDF winner finished in the top 30 of Lombardia was when Spilak won it in 2017.
The worst finish by a TDF winner’s team in the last 10 years was 7th
Year
TDF Winner
Team
Team Finish
2024
Merhawi Kudus
Moser - Sygic
?
2023
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
Evonik-ELKO
3rd
2022
Silvio Herklotz
Team Puma - SAP
3rd
2021
Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier
Festina - OAKA
4th
2020
Silvio Herklotz
Team Puma - SAP
3rd
2019
Angel Madrazo
Gazelle
1st
2018
Rein Taarämae
T-Mobile
7th
2017
Simon Spilak
Festina - Dexia
1st
2016
Andy Schleck
Vesuvio - Accumalux
3rd
2015
Alexsandr Pluchkin
Metinvest - Dacia
6th
Let the games begin, the break are on to the Colle del Pasta (1.7k at 6.8%). Peloton at 3’06.
Where are they now – Gazelle’s 2019 Title Winning Team
Spoiler
Rider
Current Team
Division
Mike Teunissen
Gazelle
PT
Denys Karnulin
Gazelle
PT
Anatoliy Sosnitskiy
Gazelle
PT
Louis Vervaeke
Gazelle
PT
Marc Potts
Aker - MOT
PT
Neilson Powless
Benetton Bimex Cycling
PCT
Tao Geoghegan Hart
Cedevita
PT
Tanel Kangert
Ethiopian Airlines
CT
Francesco Ginanni
Evonik - ELKO
PT
Patrick Konrad
Evonik - ELKO
PT
Jan Tratnik
Genii Hyundai N Cycling
CT
Manuele Boaro
Minions
PCT
Angel Madrazo
Newton Foundation p/b Zwift
CT
Steven Kruijswijk
Newton Foundation p/b Zwift
CT
Davide Formolo
Rabobank
PT
Ian Bibby
Free Agent
Blaz Furdi
Free Agent
Roman Senyenov
Free Agent
Moreno Hofland
Free Agent
Gabor Fejes
Free Agent
Jacques Janse van Rensburg
Retired
Thomas De Gendt
Retired
The peloton and the break survive the first climb without any riders being dropped. The gap is 2’11 as the peloton hit the much harder Colle Gallo (5.7k at 7.1%) with 93k to go. Stork on the front.
Gazelle’s 2019 title was followed by a 3-peat from Isostar. Had the final Isostar championship team (2022) been riding unchanged in the PT this season they would have been third in the standings at the end of September.
Spoiler
2022 Isostar Rider
2024 Div.
2024 Pts (Sept)
Taylor Phinney
PT
1163
Fernando Gaviria
PT
1683
David Per
PT
1609
Sergio Higuita
PT
541
Tao Geoghegan Hart
PT
689
Juan Ernesto Chamorro
CT
62
Davide Villella
PCT
17
Jan Drago Petelin
CT
50
Daniel Alexander Jaramillo
PT
73
Nicolay Cherkasov
PCT
49
Isaac Bolivar
PT
67
Shaun Nick Bester
PT
85
Jonas Rickaert
PT
127
Barnabas Peak
PT
442
Viktor Verschaeve
CT
69
Vadim Pronskiy
CT
105
Hasani Hennis
PCT
182
Joshua Gayral
PCT
16
Harry Sweeny
PT
114
Idar Andersen
PCT
123
Total
7266
Some indecision in the peloton and Stork pulls Herklotz clear on the Colle Gallo.
Everyone waits for everyone else to chase and the gap goes out to 1’39. Hessmann and then Ansons on the front but neither went hard.
Stehli and De Kleijn are the first riders dropped from the break.
O’Connor has a small gap on Miquel as he reaches the top. Herklotz, still behind Stork, at 1’55, the peloton at 3’16. Stork has cracked and the gap has stabilized.
A complete peloton reaches the top 1’16 down on Herklotz. About 14k of descent and flat before the biggest climb of the day.
Herklotz first ever win came in Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour of the Middle East with the reporter noting that “Herklotz takes a shock victory to take the first yellow jersey of the race.” This may be the only time a Herklotz victory has been described as a shock.
Kragh Andersen was in the break that day and ended up sitting 2nd in GC at the end of the stage. By the end of the race Herklotz was 8th on GC while Kragh Andersen missed the time cut on Stage 9.
Top 10 in Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour of the Middle East
Rank
Name
Team
Time
1
Silvio Herklotz
Team Puma - SAP
3h32'58
2
Maxim Iglinski
Maloja Mountain Nomads
s.t.
3
Kirill Pozdnyakov
Team Ameriabank-Novatek
s.t.
4
Vitor Rodrigues
Siam Cement - Lenovo
s.t.
5
Yasmani Martinez
Team Nordeus
s.t.
6
Amaël Moinard
Euskaltel-Bavaria Continental Team
s.t.
7
Sébastien Minard
Team Puma - SAP
s.t.
8
Oleksandr Polivoda
Privatbank - Nemiroff Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
9
Mark Galedo
Siam Cement - Lenovo
s.t.
10
Emanuel Kiserlovski
Team Nordeus
s.t.
75k to go, after letting Stork lead downhill Herklotz is working on the flat now, 4k to the next climb. After 10 years of winning Herklotz has clearly got bored and decided an 80k attack is the way to go. 1’49 ahead O’Connor, Gloag and Miquel are back together, 1’32 behind the peloton is still in one piece but some cracks have been showing, Veyhe on the front.
Herklotz starts the Passo di Ganda (8.4k at 7%) with a lead of 44 seconds. Toupalik can be seen leading the peloton around the corner behind.
About half way up the climb, with the steepest grades still to come, Herklotz joins the front 3. Ther rest are caught by the peloton which is 1’22 behind. Prado on the front now.
Herlkotz decides not to persist and a few k later it is all back together. Fung making the catch. Peloton still mostly in one piece.
Fung has one win in his career, winning Stage 6 of the 2019 Tour de Vineyards for McCormick.
Last 5 Wins for Riders From Hong Kong
Year
Rider
Team
Race
Stage
2024
Wan Yau Lau
Everesting
Post Danmark Rundt
KOM
2023
Chun Wing Leung
King Power
Criterium du Dauphine Libere
1
2023
Ki Ho Choi
Sony - Force India
Tour of East Java
KOM
2023
Ki Ho Choi
Sony - Force India
Tour de Romandie
GC
2022
Ki Ho Choi
Phillips - Force India
Tour of America
16
After a brief lull, Vansevenant, launches as attack. It has been a great season for him but at times he has shown the rashness of youth. There are still 65k to go.
The attack is over quickly as Page pulls him back.
Page had a plan in mind, Schmid is the next to attack.
Ardila, Lopez, and De Bie all show interest but it is another rider known for his aggression who chases after Schmid - Latour.
Quita bridges up and as they reach the top of the climb the three attackers have 13 seconds.
The three leaders can’t agree to work together and are brought back. As they head to the descent Errazkin counters along with Vansevenant and Storer.
Mas and Van Zyl put an end to that attack and it is officially a 174-rider peloton as they head down the descent to the Bracca climb, which starts in 9k. It is short but steep (1.6k at 9.4%).
Top 25 and Under Points Scorers, 2024, Through September
Rider
Nat
Team
Div
Points
Thomas Pidcock
Xero Racing
PT
1526
Mauri Vansevenant
Fastned
PT
1501
Matteo Jorgenson
Newton Foundation p/b Zwift
CT
891
Andres Camilo Ardila
MOL Cycling Team
PT
745
Mauro Schmid
Jura GIANTS
PT
707
Andrea Bagioli
Indosat Ooredoo
PCT
667
Andreas Leknessund
Gazelle
PT
643
Anders Halland Johannessen
Aker - MOT
PT
573
Tobias Halland Johannessen
Tryg - Eni
PCT
551
Giovanni Aleotti
Gazelle
PT
483
On the descent some splits form with 6 riders going off the front and then a group of 58 chasing them. Pomoshnikov leads the chase for the third group on the road that contains most of the rest of the peloton. The big news is that both Dombrowski (Gazelle rider in the foreground) and Sivakov (middle of three Tinkoff riders passing the shed ahead) are in the third group. The race not riding that hard this year so perhaps their climbing skills not factoring in. Only 3 riders from the combined forces of Tinkoff and Gazelle have made the split. Gazelle have Carboni and Vervaeke while Tinkoff’s hopes currently rest with Skujins.
Toms Skujins best finishes at Lombardia
Year
Finish
Time Back
2017
6th
+'1'32
2019
8th
+0'00
2018
10th
+0'00
2016
20th
+0'00
2020
24th
+1'03
The 6 out front are caught as they turn on to the climb to Bracca (1.6k at 9.4%). Immediately Williams attacks.
Williams is joined by Vansevenant, Latour, Romo and Mohoric, they open a lead of 27 seconds. The Dombrowski/Sivakov group has rejoined bringing the peloton back to 170.
Hirt leads the chase and the peloton crosses the top of the climb 30 seconds down. The next and last major climb starts in 8.5k
The peloton fractures again over the top. Zwiehoff and Krasts lead a 34-rider group that is still 30-seconds behind the 5 leaders with 1k to the next climb. Another 29 seconds behind is the rest of the peloton. Only Skujins and Carboni are in the front group for the PT-title-chasing teams. The climb is the Forcella de Berbenno (8.8k at 4.6%) but the average is misleading as the first half is pretty flat while the last 4k are steep.
As they reach the steeper section Madouas closes down the attack. The peloton is back together again.
Rides who have won both Lombardia and Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
Rider
Liege
Lombardia
Simone Ponzi
2015, 2017
2015, 2016, 2018
Frank Schleck
2010, 2011, 2012
2011, 2013
Peter Sagan
2018, 2020
2022
Silvio Herklotz
2024
2023
Madouas sets a hard pace on the latter half of the climb and the peloton begins to split again. Sivakov ahead of the split this time along with Skujins but Dombrowski is the Gazelle rider on the left. Malecki and Senni near him and they have Carboni, Aleotti and Peters ahead of the split.
Across the top Dombrowski struggles to get across the gap, things look bleak for him now as up front Kudus has attacked. Carboni and Aleotti have made the split along with Sivakov and Skujins for Tinkoff, Peters slid back. 26k left in the race.
Kudus’ attack is shut down but, on the descent, Mohoric uses his descending skills to get a gap. Dombrowski is in a 3-rider group 36 seconds behind the favorites group.
Once they are on the flat Hirt shuts down Mohoric. Meanwhile a great effort has brought Dombrowski back to the lead group. Now Gazelle has the advantage with 3 riders to Tinkoff’s two. 37 riders in the lead group with 17.5k to ride and 11.5k to the final climb. All the favorites are in the front group.
Any rider outside the top 50 gets 5 points, riders from 31st to 50th get 10 points. In addition to the edge in the front group, Gazelle looking better in depth as well. Riders by group:
Group
Riders
Gazelle
Tinkoff
1
37
3
2
2 (+1'31)
16
4
2
3 (+2'19)
13
0
2
4 (+2'55)
38
1
1
Rest
80
0
1
With 13k to go Kudus attacks again, he knows he won’t win a sprint finish. The big names all on his wheel: Lopez, Herklotz, and Areruya.
The attack cannot get a gap but it splits the group in half with only Skujins there for the title-contenders. Immediately Valter launches the next attack. Quita goes after him.
The split also not good for MOL as only Ardila is in the front group, Haig and Amezawa caught out. Haig and Aleotti trying to close the gap but the heat is on up front.
9k to go, 3k to the climb. Valter and Quita have 14 seconds over the chasers led by Herklotz. Romo has been able to jump from the second chase group and now Dombrowski and Gaudu look like they will bring the rest over, Sivakov is in a good position to take advantage of that. The next group on the road, with 4 Gazelle riders, is also close to making a junction.
On to the final climb now, Bergamo Alta (1.3k at 9%). Quita and Valter have 35 seconds on a 34-rider chase group with Lopez on the front. Sivakov has moved himself up and is in the first 10 riders. Skujins well placed with Carboni shadowing him. Gazelle also have Dombrowski and Aleotti in this group but they are at the back as is Vlasov who was the last man in. But Gazelle have 4 more riders in the next group and could put 7 in the top 50 while Tinkoff’s next man is Foliforov, who looks unlikely to make the top 50.
Finishing positions of the attacking riders in last year’s Giro di Lombardia
Rider
Team
Finish
Attila Valter
EA Vesuvio
3rd
Ronnilan Quita
King Power
27th
5k left, Valter and Quita are on grades over 10% as they reach the top of the climb. They have 17 seconds on the Lopez-led chase group. The group is down to 22 with only Carboni and Skujins left from the title contenders, they are still locked together about half way down the group, it is like they know the title on the line.
The two attackers hold on to 11 seconds over the top. Next 3 on the road are Lopez, Mohoric and Formolo. 4.4k left, about half steeply downhill, the rest flattish.
Skujins is not great downhill and he loses a few bike lengths on Carboni, with the depth advantage they have the title is in Gazelle’s grasp now. Amezawa also right at the back and Ardila dropped, no miracle escape for MOL. 3k left, the front two still have 15 seconds, they are just around the corner ahead.
On to the finishing straight. The front two still have 15 seconds, if they have anything left, they could take this as nobody in the group behind seems to want to lead out the chase.
Under the 1k banner the leaders open the sprint, Valter has better acceleration but Quita is faster, of course after 255k who knows what they have left. Herklotz is leading the chase. Skujins has moved up, he is a better finisher than Carboni, but to make a big difference he needs to get into the top 5.
Quita has been sitting on Valter’s wheel for a while and now with 800 meters he has the energy to go by him. Could we have the first Phillipine winner of a monument? He is by no means the strongest rider here but he has ridden a really smart race.
Valter clawing his way back past Quita but they are both dying and it looks like they could be caught. Vansevenant is leading the chasers now. Both Skujins and Carboni fading, Gazelle won’t mind that. Also, Kudus proving why he didn’t want a sprint, with Higuita ahead of him it doesn’t look like he is going to find the points his team needs.
300 meters, Areruya has found another gear, he has been hiding all race but now is a good time to hit the gas.
100 meters and the brave attack is over as Areruya storms to the front. Gidich and Schmid coming late but they look to be fighting for minor placings.
Joseph Areruya wins the 2024 Giro di Lombardia. Heartbreak for Valter and Quita as they are caught on the line. They do get 2nd and 3rd.
4th for Gidich and 5th for Schmid. Two in the top four for King Power, they might have a shot at the PT podium.
Only 6th for Herklotz, he won’t be matching any of Ponzi’s accomplishments this year. Formolo edges Vansevenant for 7th.
De Bie and Higuita round out the top 10.
Kudus (17th) Carboni (18th) and Skujins (19th) are the last three home in the front group. That’s a 3 point edge for Gazelle.
Gazelle get two more in the top 25 (Dombrowski, Aleotti) and they get 7 riders in the top 50 with Senni in 50th and only Vervaeke outside the top 50. Sivakov (34th) and Vlasov (36th) don’t make the top 30 and nobody else makes the top 50 for Tinkoff (Foliforov is 51st). Gazelle secures the title, the Gazelle way, with a whole lot of depth.
Africa adds the Giro di Lombardia to the Tour de France title.
Giro di Lombardia 
