Lombardia tomorrow, Cunego looks to repeat

The annual celebration of fall in the Lombardy region of Italy, the Giro di Lombardia, or "The Race of the Falling Leaves", is set for tomorrow. Damiano Cunego of Lampre has made this race his personal playground, having scored a hat trick of wins in recent times, and he looks to have the form to win a 4th. In his way will be the new World Champion Cadel Evans of the Silence Lotto team and a host of other contenders including; Ivan Basso of Liquigas, Alexander Kolobnev of Saxo Bank and Robert Gesink of Rabobank.

The Lombardia is usually even more selective than the Worlds and because of that reason, the typical climbers usually can get away from the sprinters that can climb. This means that even though Phillipe Gilbert is on stomping form, he likely won't make it to the finish with the leaders. Another sprinter that can climb is Fillipo Pozzato, however, he no longer has to stress because he got sick and won't even take the start. Alejandro Valverde, the recent winner of the Vuelta Espana, is not at the start either due to his doping ban in Italy. Valverde is scheduled for a appeal to the ban in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland this weekend instead.

Predictions: The field trims to the climbers through attrition and Cunego outguns whoever is left.

Starred favorites:

***
D. Cunego
C. Evans
A. Kolobnev

**
J. Brajkovic
C. Horner
A. Vinokourov
J. Rodriguez
S. Sanchez
D. Martin
I. Basso
R. Gesink
M. Scarponi
J. Van Den Broeck
K. Kirchen
F. Wegman
J. Fuglsang

*
A. Ballan
R. Nocentini
T. Valjevec
P. Deignan
T. Danielson
V. Milhojevic
G. Stangelj
M. Barry
M. Monfort
K. Siutsou
S. Ivanov
J. Hoogerland

Prediction:
1. D. Cunego
2. A. Kolobnev
3. C. Evans
4. M. Scarponi
5. R. Gesink
6. F. Wegman
7. C. Horner
8. A. Vinokourov
9. J. Fuglsang
10. I. Basso