LOMBARDIA’21 PEZ Preview: Who’s Hot For the Falling Leaves?

Lombardia Race Preview: The final ‘Monument’ of the 2021 season is this Saturday in the north of Italy – Il Lombardia. It has been a long and exciting year, Ed Hood looks forward to the ‘Classica delle foglie morte’ as the curtain closes on the WorldTour.Cyclo-cross has already started and Eli Iserbyt is winningYes, its that time of the year again, Eli Iserbyt is already winning those big crosses, the Track Worlds arent far away and the six days. . . Well, I wish I knew what to tell you about the six days. . .2021 Il Lombardia promoBUT, I digress, the Classic of the Falling leaves’ is upon us. The Primavera is the longest and the one the Italian riders would kill to win; De Ronde is perhaps the most physical with all those positioning battles into the hellingen and the one the Belgian riders would kill for the win; Roubaix has reclaimed its title as the filthiest and most acrobatic unusual attributes for a Queen; Liege has arguably the toughest parcours but Lombardia is without doubt the most beautiful, the lakes and mountains of Lombardy are stunning, theres scenic beauty abounding, just a few cobbles but even those are nicely laid – and little mud, even on a wet edition.Il Lombardia route map and profileThe organisers endless tinkering with the percorso continues; the once crucial Madonna del Ghisallo ascent comes as the first of the days seven climbs totalling 4,500 metres of climbing over the 239 kilometres between...