A late-season Italian one-day race built around the San Luca climb, where positioning matters as much as power and the finale arrives fast.
Giro dell'Emilia is a men's one-day race in northern Italy, run each autumn on a circuit around Bologna that finishes with repeated ascents of the steep San Luca climb. It sits in the heart of the Italian autumn racing block, just days before Il Lombardia.
The race has been held since 1909, making it one of the oldest fixtures on the Italian calendar.
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This is the race where riders test their form before Il Lombardia, and where the San Luca climb becomes a sorting mechanism rather than a summit finish. The circuit format means positioning battles start early, and the finale compresses quickly once the climbers commit. It rewards tactical sharpness as much as climbing strength, and the narrow roads around Bologna make it hard to recover from a bad position.
The race is defined by the San Luca climb, a steep 2-kilometer ascent through the porticoes on the edge of Bologna that the peloton tackles multiple times in the closing circuits. The gradient averages around 10 percent, with ramps that touch 16, and the narrow road through the covered arcade makes it difficult to move up once the pace lifts. The circuit format means the race is controlled until it isn't, and once a strong team commits to the climb, the group fractures quickly. The finish line sits at the top of San Luca, so there is no descent to regroup or tactical recovery after the final acceleration. Riders who can handle repeated efforts and position themselves in the front 20 before the climb have the best chance, but the race often comes down to who still has a match to burn on the last ascent. Weather can add another variable, as wet cobbles on the lower slopes or wind on the
The race is defined by the climb to the Sanctuary of San Luca above Bologna. The steep, winding ascent on the portico-lined road is one of the most recognizable finishes in Italian cycling.
Modern editions often include multiple ascents of San Luca, with the final climb serving as the decisive selection point.
Held in October, the race attracts Grand Tour contenders using it as a final form test before the season ends.
Primoz Roglic won with a decisive attack on the final San Luca ascent, establishing the modern version of the race as a genuine WorldTour-caliber test.
Tadej Pogacar won in commanding fashion, confirming San Luca as a climb that attracts and rewards the very best riders in the world.
Two victories (2021, 2023) made Roglic the modern face of the Giro dell Emilia. His ability to attack on the steep San Luca gradients defined how the race is won.
Won in 2024 with a display of climbing superiority that confirmed San Luca as worthy of the world best rider.
Won in 2025, adding Bologna to a season of victories that spanned multiple continents and calendar slots.
Won the race during his dominant era, connecting the modern Giro dell Emilia to the deepest tradition in cycling history.
The hilltop sanctuary above Bologna, reached by a 2 km climb averaging 10% under the longest portico in the world. The most iconic finish in Italian autumn racing.
The Emilian capital provides the start and the cultural anchor. The city university heritage and cycling tradition give the race depth beyond the climb.
