When the Monument races of cycling come to mind, it’s easy to get caught up in the early-season Classics like Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. But trace a line through the calendar, and right at the end you will find Il Lombardia, which takes place on Saturday, 11 October.
Given its 120-year history it probably deserves a bit more recognition than it tends to get. But a four-year winning streak by Tadej Pogačar that could become five this time round has helped bring it to the forefront of fans’ minds of late.
It doesn’t hurt that the setting – in Northern Italy’s lakes and Alpine foothills – is pretty dazzling, even if the parcours tends to change from year to year. This year it runs 241km from Como to Bergamo and takes in seven classified climbs – three of which are above 1,000 metres.
Quick guide to watching Il Lombardia
How to watch Il Lombardia in the UK
In the UK, Il Lombardia – as with pretty much all pro cycling – will be shown on TV on TNT Sports and online on Discovery+. Both platforms are owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and require a subscription.
The race is live on TNT Sports and Discovery+ from 9.30am BST on the same day.
Discovery+ costs £30.99 a month since the price rise one month ago. TNT Sports is also £30.99 a month, but is cheaper with certain TV packages.
How to watch Il Lombardia in the US and Canada
For North American viewers, this year’s coverage of Il Lombardia is on HBO Max and FloBikes.
If you’re in the US, you’ll want to head to HBO Max. Subscriptions start at $16.99 per month, or you can choose to pay $169.99 a year.
FloBikes will be broadcasting Il Lombardia in Canada. Subscriptions cost $30 or CA$39.99 a month, with big savings for long-term plans.
Can I watch Il Lombardia for free?
You can watch Il Lombardia for free in the host country of Italy, where public broadcaster RAI has the rights.
TV viewers will find the race on RAI 2, while the Il Lombardia free live stream is on RAI Play.
Coverage is geo-restricted so will only work in Italy, unless you use a VPN to access your usual coverage while abroad – more on that below.
How to watch Il Lombardia from anywhere
A good VPN will not only bolster your internet security but will also wipe out the geo-restrictions you find on most streaming services these days, allowing you to access your usual streaming services while you’re abroad.
It’s a great tool for cycling fans on the move, and NordVPN comes in as the best in class according to our colleagues across the office at TechRadar.
Want to know more? We have an explainer on the benefits, costs, and considerations…
– Should I use a VPN to watch cycling?
When is Il Lombardia on?
Il Lombardia begins at 10:55 CET on Saturday October 11, and is due to finish in Bergamo at 17:00.
UK coverage of Il Lombardia begins at 09:30 BST.
In the US, HBO Max’s coverage begins at 04:30 EDT.
In Canada, Flobikes’ coverage starts at 04:30 EDT.
In Australia, coverage of the race starts at 21:00 ACT and runs into the early hours of Sunday morning.
See also: Cycling TV and streaming guide
What to expect from Il Lombardia
Il Lombardia is the last of the year’s five Monuments of bike racing. These are the biggest and oldest one-day races on the men’s calendar [World Championships aside] and begin in March with Milan-San Remo. The others are Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, so Lombardia has a lot to live up to.
To keep up with its Monumental brethren, Lombardia still needs to add its own women’s equivalent. Meanwhile, it tempts fans and riders alike with its lakes-and-mountains parcours and attritional distance.
Pre-race favourites do not come clearer than defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), who has stunned rivals and dazzled fans with his outlandish solo victories in races including the European and World Championships road race.
His armour isn’t entirely without chinks though, as rival Remco Evenepoel proved in the World Championships time trial when he caught and passed the Slovenian. Soudal Quick-Step rider Evenepoel has come second to Pogačar in the recent Worlds and Euros road races and will be on the start line in Como, hoping to make amends.
Also present are last year’s third place finisher Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Tom Pidcock (Q36.5) and Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), all of whom are capable of taking the fight to Pogačar on a good day.
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