Etixx - Quick-Step has announced the selection that will participate in Il Lombardia (Giro di Lombardia), a 245km one-day race known as the last of five road "monuments" of the season, and one of the last days of the road racing calendar. The 2015 parcours, from Bergamo to Como, includes several climbs that can condition the race including the Madonna del Ghisallo, Muro di Sormano, Civiglio, and San Fermo della Battaglia. The descent of San Fermo della Battaglia could also be a decisive moment before the finish on Sunday, the 4th of October.
"After a few years we return to the parcours of a few years ago, including the very steep Muro di Sormano," Sport Director Davide Bramati said. "As a team that loves to perform well in the monuments, of course we'd like to get a top result of such a beautiful and prestigious race in Northern Italy. As for the profile, it's a demanding final with a few climbs in the last kilometers, which makes Il Lombardia unique and very difficult. But we've been riding well in the last races and want to continue to perform well on Sunday. We'll be at the start with three 'fresh' riders: Michal Kwiatkowski, Zdenek Stybar, and Petr Vakoc. They come to this race after recovering from a strong world championship, where they were protagonists. They can do well again. We also have Gianluca Brambilla at the start. Gianluca rode well at Gran Piemonte today, after an impressive Vuelta. This is a race that can suit his skills. Also participating, after Piemonte, are Maxime Bouet, Lukasz Wisniowski, and Carlos Verona. The 8th and final rider will be Michal Golas, who crashed today at Piemonte. The medical examinations excluded major problems, but with a few abrasions on his face. Normally, if everything remains the same overnight for Golas, he will participate on Sunday."