Il Lombardia 2026 arrives without the rider who has defined the race for the past five years. Tadej Pogačar is absent after his season-ending Vuelta a España crash, leaving the final Monument of the season unusually open and giving several riders a realistic route to victory in Como.
The strongest names come from very different directions. Isaac Del Toro has been one of the best one-day climbers of the autumn, Remco Evenepoel arrives as the new European champion, Paul Seixas has already shown he can handle Lombardia at 19, Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson were both on the Tre Valli Varesine podium this week, while Giulio Ciccone came within millimetres of beating Evenepoel in Slovenia.
The Il Lombardia 2026 route covers 239km from Bergamo to Como with around 4,600 metres of climbing. The Ghisallo comes with 61km remaining before a 22km finishing circuit containing San Fermo della Battaglia, Civiglio and San Fermo for a second time. That combination rewards riders who can climb repeatedly, descend well and still accelerate after six hours of racing.
Isaac Del Toro
Del Toro has the clearest combination of recent form, route suitability and team strength. He won the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal in September after matching Seixas on the final climb and then beating him in a two-rider finish, and he already knows how to survive deep into Lombardia after finishing fifth on his debut in 2025.
The Mexican does not need the race to unfold in one specific way. He can follow a hard acceleration on Civiglio, attack before the final San Fermo or wait for a small-group finish. The bigger complication is inside his own team, because UAE Team Emirates-XRG also bring world champion Brandon McNulty, Jan Christen, Pavel Sivakov and A Yates.
That depth should help rather than hinder him. UAE can send riders up the road and make Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe or Lidl-Trek chase, leaving Del Toro free to respond only to the moves that matter.
Remco Evenepoel
Evenepoel has twice finished second at Il Lombardia and returns in perhaps the best possible form. He won the European road title in Šenčur on Sunday, surviving a crash before getting back into the decisive group and edging Ciccone in a photo finish.
The 2026 finale suits him differently from some previous editions. Without the Mur de Sormano, there is less opportunity for a pure long-range climbing demolition, but Civiglio is steep enough for Evenepoel to force a gap and the descent towards the second San Fermo can be used to extend it.
Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe also give him exceptional support through Primož Roglič, Jai Hindley, Florian Lipowitz and Giulio Pellizzari. If UAE try to turn the race into a series of attacks, Evenepoel should not have to answer every one himself.
Paul Seixas
Seixas already finished seventh at Il Lombardia on debut last year and has made another substantial step forward in 2026. His second place behind Del Toro in Montréal was particularly relevant because he was the rider who broke the favourites apart on the final climb before Del Toro bridged across.
That ability to accelerate repeatedly on steep gradients is exactly what Civiglio demands. Seixas is still young enough that the length of a 239km Monument remains an important question, but his 2025 result means there is already evidence that he can handle Lombardia’s distance.
Decathlon CMA CGM Team can also use Tiesj Benoot, Léo Bisiaux and Aurélien Paret-Peintre before the finale, which should allow Seixas to avoid doing unnecessary work until the race is properly selective.
Tom Pidcock
Pidcock enters Lombardia after finishing second at Tre Valli Varesine, where his attack helped create the decisive three-rider move with Widar and Jorgenson. He was then beaten in the sprint, but the result confirmed that his form is where it needs to be.
The course may suit him better than almost anyone. Pidcock can climb with the best riders, is one of the strongest descenders in the field and has enough speed to win from a small group. He finished sixth on his Lombardia debut in 2025 and does not need to attack from long range if the race stays together until Civiglio.
Giulio Ciccone
Ciccone’s European Championships ride places him firmly among the leading contenders. He attacked with 36km remaining, was the only rider able to go clear with Evenepoel and eventually lost the title by the smallest possible margin in the sprint.
He also has a strong Lombardia record, including third place in 2024. The repeated climbing around Como suits his acceleration, and he has the advantage of riding with one of the deepest tactical teams in the race. Juan Ayuso gives Lidl-Trek a second outright leader, while Quinn Simmons can be sent on the attack before Civiglio.
Brandon McNulty
McNulty cannot be treated simply as Del Toro’s support rider after winning the world road title in Montréal. He took the rainbow jersey with a 32km solo attack and arrives at Lombardia with the form and confidence to race for himself.
The question is how UAE divide responsibility. McNulty is well suited to moving before Civiglio and forcing the other favourites to chase, while Del Toro can remain protected behind. If that attack is given even a small amount of freedom, the world champion is strong enough to make it decisive.
Matteo Jorgenson
Jorgenson’s third place at Tre Valli Varesine was another reminder that he has become much more than a stage-race rider. He matched Pidcock’s decisive move and stayed with Widar to the finish, only losing out in the final sprint.
He also finished second overall to Del Toro at Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this season. Visma | Lease a Bike can support him with Davide Piganzoli, Ben Tulett and Tijmen Graat, giving the team enough climbing depth to race proactively rather than simply wait for the final ascent.
Photo Credit: GettyJarno Widar
Widar has forced his way into the contenders discussion at exactly the right moment. The 20-year-old won Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday, beating Pidcock and Jorgenson in a three-up sprint after all three had escaped with around 16km remaining.
That was the first professional victory of his career and came after a difficult start to the season affected by illness and injury. Lombardia is another step up in distance and difficulty, but the form is impossible to ignore. Lotto-Intermarché also have Lennert Van Eetvelt, giving them more than one option if Widar finds the final 60km too demanding.
Ben Healy and Richard Carapaz
EF Education-EasyPost have one of the most interesting pairings in the field. Healy is at his best when the race becomes disorganised and riders begin attacking before the obvious final point, while Carapaz is better suited to a direct climbing battle on Civiglio.
Healy was already one of the riders trying to change the race in Montréal before Del Toro and Seixas went clear. Lombardia gives him more terrain to attack from distance, and EF should be one of the teams least interested in carrying Evenepoel, Del Toro and Pidcock calmly towards the final climbs.
Oscar Onley
Onley is an awkward rider to place because he has the climbing level to survive a very hard race but also enough speed to become dangerous if a small group reaches Como together. Netcompany INEOS bring Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman and Carlos Rodríguez as well, so Onley should not have to shoulder the team’s entire race from the start.
The 2026 route gives him a better chance than a Lombardia decided by one very long mountain. Civiglio and San Fermo reward repeated accelerations rather than steady climbing, which is closer to Onley’s strengths.
Photo Credit: GettyChristian Scaroni, Quinn Simmons and the form outsiders
Scaroni has put together one of the best weeks of any rider on the start list. He took bronze at the European Championships behind Evenepoel and Ciccone, then finished seventh at Tre Valli Varesine. XDS Astana also bring Lorenzo Fortunato, Sergio Higuita and Diego Ulissi, giving Scaroni support if he reaches the final circuit in contention.
Simmons was fourth at Tre Valli and finished fourth at Lombardia last year. He is unlikely to wait for Civiglio and is one of the riders most capable of turning a tactical lull into a serious long-range move. Michael Storer, third in 2025, belongs in the same broad category and gives Tudor a strong alternative alongside Marc Hirschi.
Lenny Martinez, Davide Piganzoli, Enric Mas and the pure climbers
Martinez is perhaps the most dangerous of the riders who would benefit from an especially hard race. Bahrain Victorious can also use Santiago Buitrago, Pello Bilbao and Antonio Tiberi, which means Martinez can be protected deep into the finale.
Piganzoli has been one of the strongest young Italian climbers of the season and has a team capable of putting him into a selective race. Mas, Giulio Pellizzari and Primož Roglič all have enough climbing quality to matter as well, although each would probably prefer Civiglio to be raced hard enough that the faster finishers are removed before Como.
The Il Lombardia team-by-team guide looks at those supporting structures in more detail, while the full start list has all 25 teams and the latest rider selections.
How the race could be won
The absence of Pogačar changes the rhythm of the finale. In recent editions, much of the race has been about surviving until his expected attack. In 2026 there is no single rider every team must organise around, which should make the section between Ghisallo and Civiglio much more tactical.
UAE have the numbers to attack first through McNulty or Christen while keeping Del Toro protected. Red Bull have the strongest obvious counter through Evenepoel, but they can also use Roglič or Pellizzari. Lidl-Trek can play Ciccone, Ayuso and Simmons against one another, while Bahrain and EF both have enough depth to attack rather than simply follow.
If the decisive move waits until Civiglio, Del Toro, Evenepoel, Seixas, Pidcock and Ciccone look like the riders most naturally suited to the climb and the technical run into Como. If the race opens earlier, McNulty, Healy, Simmons, Widar and Jorgenson become increasingly dangerous.
For viewing details, see how to watch Il Lombardia 2026 in the UK. The race takes place on Saturday 10 October, with the final Monument of the season finishing in Como.
Il Lombardia 2026 Top 3 Prediction
1. Isaac Del Toro
2. Remco Evenepoel
3. Tom Pidcock
