He would venture north from the traffic-clogged streets of Milan to train on the mountain roads that skirt the shore of Lake Como. He would practice his descending on narrow switchbacks, plummeting through towns towards the turquoise water. He’d race past the villas and chic marinas by the lake and test his legs on famous climbs like the Madonna del Ghisallo and Civiglio. In autumn, when the Lombard forests turned red and the leaves began to fall, he and his friends would gather around TV sets with the rest of Italy to watch Il Lombardia.

Now, at 21, Andrea Piccolo is about to make his debut in professional cycling’s traditional grand finale. It’s a moment he has been dreaming about ever since he was a boy.

“Since I started watching it, I’ve always had a special feeling for this race and thought one day I’m going to race it, too,” Andrea says. “I live in Milan, but I know the whole route of Il Lombardia. It’s my home route, where I train, where I live, so I have a lot of passion for this race. It’s so very, very, very beautiful. Il Lombardia means the world to Italian cycling.”

Last year, Andrea finished eighth in Il Piccolo Lombardia, the U23 version of the classic. At 253-kilometres, the professional edition is more than 80 kilometres longer than that race. On Saturday, it will start in Bergamo and head east before turning back through the mountains towards Lake Como. After skirting along the lakeshore, the course will reach Bellagio and climb the Madonna del Ghisallo, passing its church to cycling’s patron saint, before racing to a hilly and technical finishing circuit in Como. En route are 4800 metres of climbing, on par with the hardest alpine stages in the grand tours. Andrea has been preparing for the challenge for months.

“I like the long races,” he says. “After kilometre 200, I really like it. To do a race of this type, I know you have to train very hard and not just the week of the race. One month, two months in advance, you have to look at the route. You have to train consistently and strongly for these races. It will be my first really big race with the team, so I am very excited.”

During the run up to Il Lombardia, Andrea has performed very well in a string of one-day races. This year, his exciting, attacking style has been rewarded with a third-place at the Coppa Agostoni-Giro delle Brianze, fourth at the Italian national championships, and fifth at the Maryland Cycling Classic among other promising results. At Lombardy, he wants to play a vital card for the team. Andrea will line up with Mark Padun, Sean Quinn, Alberto Bettiol, Odd Eiking, Neilson Powless, and Rigoberto Urán for us on Saturday.

Rigo is the man on form. After winning a stage at the Vuelta, the Colombian veteran has finished seventh at the Coppa Agostini-Giro delle Brianze, fifth at the Giro dell’Emillia, and 10th at Tre Valli Varesine in his last three races. He wants to close out the year with another victory. Mark Padun, Neilson Powless, and Alberto Bettiol will also look for opportunities to attack on the climbs approaching Como. Sean Quinn and Odd Eiking will have their backs. Andrea wants to race aggressively.

“I’ll go all in for the team and do the best possible,” he says. “I’m with some really strong teammates. The first 150 kilometres will be really, really hard and then the race will be fought out in the last 100 kilometres to Como. For me, the first part is very important. We have Rigo, who is in very good condition. He’s a great rider, so I’m very excited. We will go for a good result.”

Andrea has long believed that he could become a racer who might win a Monument on his day. Il Lombardia is his home race and, to him, the most special one of them all. This Saturday will be Andrea Piccolo’s first great test.