Milan, 23 May 2024 – On 13th October, the spectacle of the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia Felice Gimondi Enel returns to Cantù. Thanks to the agreement between RCS Sports & Events and the Gimondi Family, the race has been named after the winner of the 1966 and 1973 Race of the Falling Leaves. The race, that will take place the day after the last Monument Classic of the year, will give the opportunity to cyclists from all over the world to confront themselves with roads that have seen the Lombardy champion as protagonist in his Giro di Lombardia.
QUOTES
Paolo Bellino, CEO of RCS Sport: “It is a great honour to be able to name our Gran Fondo Il Lombardia after a champion who made cycling history like Felice Gimondi. This gives an extra value to the race also because we will be riding along some of the roads that have been graced by the exploits of unique champions just like the Lombardy champion. We hope that this factor, together with a route filled of historical climbs, will help us to beat the record of participants in the event”.
Norma Gimondi: “The roads of Lombardy will once again be populated by thousands of cycling enthusiasts from all over the world, ready to pedal and challenge each other in the name of dad, Felice Gimondi. It is with great satisfaction that my family and I greet a new edition of the Gran Fondo Il Lombardia Felice Gimondi Enel, an event that this year takes off thanks to the prestigious partnership with RCS Sport. The roads that my father always loved, the climbs and descents that built his legend, will be the ideal setting to celebrate the exploits of all the amateurs that will join the event”.
THE ROUTE OF THE GRAN FONDO IL LOMBARDIA FELICE GIMONDI ENEL
The start is located in the town Cantù followed by 25 hilly and undulating kilometres through the roads of Brianza all the way to Maglio. The following 7 kilometres, leading the riders to the hill of Sormano, are the hardest yet the most exciting of the entire race. The last two kilometres of this climb – the iconic Muro di Sormano (Sormano Wall), a totem in worldwide cycling – will be the climax of the race. Here, the road climbs steeply at an average gradient of 15.8 % topping out at 27 %. The writings on the tarmac and the signage at the side of the road will be there to provide Gran Fondo athletes with the experience of a real Pro. Less experienced riders may take a 2 km detour allowing them to reach the summit along a milder climb.
Last Km
A long (nearly 20 km) and broad descent will lead them to Merone, allowing them to rest their legs before the final 20 kilometres, climbing again in short and steep spurts. the riders will then reach the finish at the heart of Cantù, to be crowned the heroes of the day.
