Lombardia last dance

By Angelo Giangregorio and Alessandro Federico

This is our day at Giro di Lombardia, as it came from our cameras and our hearts. 

Good morning! It's time to have a long ride around the lake.

It's not that early when riders step out from big motor-homes to join the departure line. It's not raining anymore but weather is still uncertain. This is the US rider Joe Dombrowski, at his first experience in this race. Riders are poor in words during these moments, they feel the excitement of the big event and the pressure from the people. Only the start of the race may give them the relief.

 

Michele Scarponi is one of the most experienced riders. He rode already 6 times this race and was second in 2010 behind a super Philippe Gilbert. The Italian rider is relaxed and don’t feel the pressure, apparently. He has always a minute to spend with the tifosi and to make some joke with them.

Davide Rebellin has run so many times this classic but he never won it. While we take him the picture he remain quite, without sun glasses and not hiding to the camera. A way to respect our job, which we appreciated.

Time to line up and go

Time is over and the riders line up for the start. Some black clouds still sit on our heads but sharp bright sunshine are now filtering from them. The people from the side of the road is excited and scream, the police motorcycle turn on the siren. In a minute the race is already far away.

The lake

The Giro di Lombardia is the race of the lake. We love to spot her on the side of the road, while the riders cross desert towns and pass close to small beaches and villas. The atmosphere is surreal: at the same time recall the past summer days but anticipate the long winter nights.

 

Lunch time is over when the race hits for the first time the lake in Lecco. A breakway of eleven is out and the bunch is in pursuit, seven minutes behind.

Onno is a small village on the Lecco side of the lake. Is a small harbor which quietly waits the winter. In a while its quietness is devastated by the furious speed of the Giro di Lombardia, heading towards her iconic climb: the Ghisallo

Gilbert

One by one the riders are passing too fast in front of our lenses. For a case we stop the action of a double winner of this race, Philippe Gilbert. He may be no more the number one in the bunch, as he was few years ago, but still he show a fantastic style.

 

Muro di Sormano

 

This is the place. This is the nightmare for each of the rider. This is the climb anybody have to cross to grant the finish line for himself. This is the narrow, nasty piece of road where the first big selection takes place. Half of the riders defeat before it, just to avoid it.

 

Falling leaves on the side, while Kwiaktowski selects the counter attack. Wellens try to maintain the wheel but the gravity force is too strong at this point.

The Astana Team rules the bunch on the Muro selecting the best and giving to the race the final look

Maika and Visconti loosing the wheels

Moreno Moser definitivly out of the contenders

Baby give me one last dance

Nobody want really leave because everybody really knows it’s for long. The Giro di Lombardia closes the season and long winter months are going to separate us from a new cycling season. The after race in Como suburbs is  crazy; here the traffic jam is a standard any day, but with the race closing main roads is becoming even worse. Phone calls are crossing my phone and Angelo’s. How the pics went out? I meet Angelo in the car while I’m coming back to my one: few precious seconds we know are to be the last one for long time to come.

On the highway back to the small harbor on the Adriatic coast the sun is setting and cars pass my one moving on quite. The Autogrill it’s a temptation despite the long way to cover. Last coffee of the day, last moment before the day is over. The season ends. The joy of cycling ends. So, yes, last coffee please, we will think to the life later on.