2025’s Final ‘Monument’ Beckons for Bahrain Victorious on Saturday.

# Bahrain Victorious Gears Up for 2025’s Final ‘Monument’ at Il Lombardia

As the 2025 cycling season approaches its climax, Bahrain Victorious is poised for a thrilling showdown this weekend during the last Monument race of the year, Il Lombardia. With only a few weeks left in the season, both riders and fans are anticipating an emotional and action-packed journey across one of cycling’s prestigious events.

Tradition holds that the towns of Como and Bergamo swap roles as start and finish locations; for this 119th edition, the peloton will launch from Lago di Como’s southern tip. The race spans 241 km, featuring a staggering 4,748 vertical meters of ascent over seven categorized climbs, following the same arduous route used in 2023.

The riders will kick off with the iconic Ghisallo climb, marked by an 8.8 km ascent at a gradient of 3.9%. After descending into Bellagio, they will navigate toward Lecco and prepare for the relentless series of climbs and descents as they approach Bergamo. Key segments include the demanding Roncola—with gradients reaching up to 17%—along with Berbenno, Dossena, Zambla Alta, and Passo di Ganda. The final stretch features a technical descent from Selvino with 19 hairpin turns, leading into nine flat kilometers before the climactic ascent through Città Alta, landing on cobblestones and inclines up to 12%.

Sports Director Roman Kreuziger shared his insights on the race: “It’s a beautiful race for climbers. Il Lombardia—no matter where it starts or finishes—is always a Monument defined by elevation and difficulty. This edition starts in Como and finishes in Bergamo, tackling the famous Ghisallo after 40 km and then a series of challenging climbs around Bergamo. The final cobbled ascent through Bergamo Alta is really tough, followed by the descent into the finish.”

As the last Monument of the season, Kreuziger stressed the importance of focus: “It’s crucial to approach it with the same focus as the first. Riders must stay concentrated from start to finish, knowing it’s the final big effort of the year for many of them.”

With top competitors like Tadej Pogačar, Remco Evenepoel, and Tom Pidcock all in formidable form, the competition will be fierce. Bahrain Victorious has set an ambitious, yet realistic, target of a top-eight finish. Kreuziger highlighted the potential of younger riders, stating, “Afonso Eulálio has shown strong improvement throughout the Italian campaign… I expect him to be one of the last helpers for Lenny Martinez and Antonio Tiberi, who are both in good condition.”

Moreover, the team’s experienced riders, including Damiano Caruso and Pello Bilbao, will play crucial roles. Bilbao is set to act as road captain, while Edoardo Zambanini, fresh off a sixth-place finish at Gran Piemonte, is expected to excel in positioning the team at critical points like the Passo di Ganda.

Kreuziger noted the addition of Rainer Kepplinger as a fresh asset for the team. “We have a solid team and know we’ll face strong contenders, but patience and smart energy management will be key. If we stay focused and fuelled throughout, I’m confident we can deliver another strong performance to close the season.”

As Bahrain Victorious embarks on their final Monument race of the year, fans are eagerly anticipating how this challenging course will unfold and whether the team can achieve their goals in what promises to be an unforgettable climax to the 2025 season.