The classic cycle races are the most prestigious one-day professional road cycling races in the international calendar. Some of these events date back to the 19th century. They are normally held at roughly the same time each year. The five most revered races are often described as the cycling monuments.
Michele Bartoli is a retired Italian road racing cyclist. Bartoli was a professional cyclist from 1992 until 2004 and was one of the most successful single-day classics specialists of his generation, especially in the Italian and Belgian races. On his palmarès are three of the five monuments of cycling—five in total: the 1996 Tour of Flanders, the 1997 and 1998 Liège–Bastogne–Liège and the 2002 and 2003 Giro di Lombardia. He won the UCI Road World Cup in 1997 and 1998. From 10 October 1998 until 6 June 1999, Bartoli was number one on the UCI Road World Rankings.
Michele Dancelli is an Italian former road racing cyclist. His main victories include one Milan–San Remo (1970), the 1966 Flèche Wallonne, three editions of the Giro dell'Appennino (1965–1967), two Trofeo Laigueglia. He also won 11 stages in total in the Giro d'Italia and one stage in the 1969 Tour de France.
The Tre Valli Varesine is a semi classic European bicycle race held in Varese, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour. In 2021 it joined the UCI ProSeries calendar after being cancelled in 2020. A women's edition has been held since 2021.
The Coppa Ugo Agostoni is a semi classic European bicycle race held in Lissone, Italy. The race is held in memory of Italian cyclist Ugo Agostoni, winner of prestigious classic Milan–San Remo, killed during World War II. It is also called Giro della Brianza. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.
The "Trittico Regione Lombardia", usually also called Trittico Lombardo, is a cycling competition which includes three cycling races held around the region of Lombardy on three consecutive days. These races are Tre Valli Varesine, Coppa Ugo Agostoni, and Coppa Bernocchi, the winner having the best overall results in these three races.
The Ardennes classics are three cycling classics held in mid-April in the Belgian Ardennes and southern Limburg in the Netherlands: Liège–Bastogne–Liège, La Flèche Wallonne and Amstel Gold Race. First held in 1892, 1936 and 1966 respectively, the races are notable for their hilly courses, and often have similar riders competing for the top positions as the races are held closely following each other. Cyclists that are specialized in these hilly courses are known as puncheurs. In recent years, the three classics have been held within an 8-day timeframe.
Wladimiro Panizza was an Italian professional road bicycle racer. Panizza came from a Communist family and was named after Lenin. During his long career (1967–1985), he helped Felice Gimondi and Franco Bitossi. His best grand tour was the 1980 Giro d'Italia, where he placed second in the overall classification. He holds the record for number of starts and number of completions in the Giro, completing the race 16 times out of 18 starts.
The 2015 Il Lombardia was a one-day cycling classic that took place around Lake Como in Lombardy in northern Italy on 4 October 2015. It was the 109th edition of the Il Lombardia one-day cycling race and was the final cycling monument of the 2015 season, as well as being the final race of the 2015 UCI World Tour. The race was organised by RCS Sport, who also organise the Giro d'Italia.
Antonio Bernocchi was an Italian industrialist, who built up a successful textile factory at Legnano, in Lombardy.
The 2015 Coppa Bernocchi was a one-day cycling semi-classic that took place on 17 September 2015, starting and finishing in Legnano in northern Italy. It was the second leg of the 2015 Trittico Lombardo and the 97th edition of the Coppa Bernocchi. The race was won by Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), who took a solo victory a second ahead of a small group. Mauro Finetto came second, with Matteo Trentin third. Nibali had come second in the Coppa Ugo Agostoni and went on to win the Tre Valli Varesine to win the Trittico Lombardo competition.
The 2015 Ugo Agostoni was a one-day cycling semi-classic that took place on 16 September 2015, starting in Monza and finishing in Lissone in northern Italy. It was the first leg of the 2015 Trittico Lombardo and the 69th edition of the Coppa Ugo Agostoni. The race was won by Davide Rebellin (CCC–Sprandi–Polkowice), who sprinted to the race victory ahead of his breakaway companion Vincenzo Nibali (Astana). Niccolò Bonifazio (Lampre–Merida won the sprint for third. Nibali went on to win the Coppa Bernocchi and the Tre Valli Varesine to win the Trittico Lombardo competition.
The term Alto Milanese, also called Altomilanese, is used to refer to the territory of Lombardy that includes the northwestern part of the metropolitan city of Milan, the southern part of the province of Varese and some municipalities in the southwestern part of the province of Como. It largely corresponds with one of the Italian provinces planned in the past: the province of Seprio. The Alto Milanese can be divided into four zones having their respective major cities as their main centers: the Bustese, Legnanese, Gallaratese and Saronnese. The major rivers of the Alto Milanese are the Olona and the Ticino, while among the noteworthy streams are the Arno, the Tenore, the Bozzente, the Lura, the Rile, and the Strona.
The 2021 Coppa Bernocchi was the 102nd edition of the Coppa Bernocchi road cycling one day race, which was held in and around Legnano, Italy, on 4 October 2021. This edition was the race's first in the UCI ProSeries; the 2020 edition was expected to feature in the inaugural UCI ProSeries but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race was the first of the 2021 Trittico Lombardo, which also included the Tre Valli Varesine held the day after and the Coppa Ugo Agostoni, to be held a week later.
The 2022 Tre Valli Varesine was the 101st edition of the Tre Valli Varesine road cycling one day race, which was held in the Lombardy region of northwestern Italy on 4 October 2022. The race was the third of the 2022 Trittico Lombardo, which also included the Coppa Ugo Agostoni, held on 29 September and the Coppa Bernocchi held the day before.
The 2022 Coppa Bernocchi was the 103rd edition of the Coppa Bernocchi road cycling one day race, which was held in and around Legnano, Italy, on 3 October 2022.
The 2023 Coppa Bernocchi was the 104th edition of the Coppa Bernocchi road cycling one day race, which was held in and around Legnano, Italy, on 2 October 2023.
The 2023 Tre Valli Varesine was the 102nd edition of the Tre Valli Varesine road cycling one day race, which was held in the Lombardy region of northwestern Italy on 3 October 2023. The race was the third of the 2023 Trittico Lombardo, which also included the Coppa Ugo Agostoni, held on 28 September and the Coppa Bernocchi held the day before.
The 2020 Gran Trittico Lombardo was a one-day road cycling race held on 3 August 2020. The race was rated as a 1.Pro event on the 2020 UCI ProSeries. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the race was created through the merging of the three races that usually make up the Trittico Lombardo. The race started in Legnano and finished in Varese on a 199.7 kilometer course. The race was won solo in heavy rain by the Spaniard Gorka Izagirre of the Astana team.
The 2024 Coppa Bernocchi will be the 105th edition of the Coppa Bernocchi road cycling one day race, which will be held in and around Legnano, Italy, on 7 October 2024.
Ruggero Ferrario (ITA)
Danilo Napolitano (ITA)
Stan Van Tricht (BEL)
