Il Lombardia is the Race of the Falling Leaves, the autumn Monument that closes the Classics season among the lakes and hills of Lombardy. First run in 1905, it is the race for climbers, winding past the chapel of the Madonna del Ghisallo and over the Muro di Sormano and the Civiglio. Fausto Coppi defined it with five wins in the 1940s and 1950s, a record Tadej Pogačar equalled in 2025. The racing is long and selective, and the cold and the falling leaves give it a melancholy beauty unlike anything else on the calendar. It is often the last great day before the season ends. A win in Lombardy is the mark of a true climber.