Il Lombardia's hangover is shaken off in the Veneto
Last Saturday, Il Lombardia was the grand climax of the season finale, but the monument is not the last race of the year on European soil. This week, two races in the Italian region of Veneto will definitively close out the season, and they will also finalize the standings for the Italy 1. Pro classification in Cycling Fantasy, the last of the combined rankings still to be decided.
Although these two races take place back-to-back on the calendar and are geographically close, they have very different origins. On one hand, on Wednesday, it takes place the Giro del Veneto, a century-old race whose honor roll includes some of the greatest cyclists of all time, such as Fausto Coppi, Costante Girardengo, Fiorenzo Magni, Roger De Vlaeminck, or Moreno Argentin. On the other hand, the Veneto Classic will only celebrate its fourth edition in 2024, but it aims to carve out a place in the future of our sport with an attractive route that includes cobbles and gravel sections.
Giro del Veneto: Route and Favorites
The race starts in Verona and finishes in Vicenza, where the cyclists must complete a circuit five times, with the Monte Berico (1.1 km at 7.2%) as its main difficulty. The race covers a total of 166 kilometers and 1,675 meters of positive elevation gain.
The start list is still in its preliminary phase, but names like Marc Hirschi (600), Michael Matthews (600), Magnus Cort (600), Corbin Strong (600), Romain Grégoire (600), Diego Ulissi (600), Tobias Halland Johannessen (600), Lorenzo Rota (400), and Samuele Battistella (200) already stand out.
Veneto Classic: Route and Favorites
The course for the last road race of the season covers 199 km and 1,980 meters of positive elevation. After a flat start, the race enters a 12-kilometer circuit that includes the Salita della Rosina (2.6 km at 5.9%), which will be tackled twice. Then, five more laps on a second circuit featuring the cobbled climb of Tisa (0.4 km at 9.3%) will warm up the legs for the final two climbs: the gravel section of Diesel Farm (1.4 km at 8.4%) and the steep Strada Soarda (0.4 km at 13.1%).
There are still several days until this race, making it difficult to predict favorites, although many riders from Wednesday’s race will likely participate, which could be a good indicator for assembling our Sunday team.
Photo: © Veneto Classic