The start of Il Lombardia 2025 saw a series of heartfelt send-offs on Saturday morning in Como, as the peloton said goodbye to the riders who were pinning on a number for the final time at the race of the falling leaves.
Rafał Majka (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Pieter Serry (Soudal-QuickStep), Salvatore Puccio (Ineos Grenadiers), Simone Petilli and Louis Meintjes (both Intermarché-Wanty) are all hanging up their racing wheels at the end of this season, and were honoured on Saturday morning.
The organisers of Il Lombardia gave all of the retiring riders sashes and leaf crowns to wear on the podium as they were all given a special moment during sign on.
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Serry's Soudal-QuickStep teammates gave him a send-off on the podium(Image credit: Getty Images)
As did UAE Team Emirates-XRG for Majka(Image credit: Getty Images)
A final sign-on for Simone Petilli(Image credit: Getty Images)
Retirement accessories for Salvatore Puccio(Image credit: Getty Images)
Intermarché had two retiring riders, with Petilli and Meintjes(Image credit: Getty Images)
Before the race began, the peloton lined up in a now-traditional guard of honour, making a tunnel of bikes for the veteran riders to walk down before starting their final race as professionals.
Though it's their final day of racing and the start may have been a moment of celebration, the retiring riders still have a job to do.
Rafał Majka is in northern Italy to try to help his teammate Tadej Pogačar win a historic fifth-consecutive Lombardia title, whilst Pieter Serry is part of a Soudal-QuickStep team that is hoping Remco Evenepoel can be the one to challenge the imperious world champion.
Majka is saying goodbye after a long career that started in 2011 and has seen him become one of the most respected and successful domestiques in the peloton, playing a particularly key role in several of Pogačar's major victories.
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Serry also turned professional in 2011, and has also spent his career as a committed domestique, ending his racing years without an individual pro win to his name, but having played a part in many of Soudal-QuickStep's victories.
Italy's Salvatore Puccio is enjoying a home send-off – though some way away from his home in Sicily – but Ineos Grenadiers will be looking for opportunities for Egan Bernal, Thymen Arensman and Filippo Ganna on Saturday.
South Africa's Louis Meintjes is yet to officially announce his retirement after floating the idea during the season, but his part in the farewells in Como confirmed that this is the end of his career after a long tenure as one of Africa's foremost professional riders.
The youngest of the retirees is Simone Petilli, only 32, who decided to hang up his wheels after achieving everything he wanted to in cycling, including racing the Giro d'Italia five times.
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Serry says goodbye(Image credit: Getty Images)
A farewell for Puccio(Image credit: Getty Images)
Meintjes hangs up his wheels(Image credit: Getty Images)
Petilli calls it a day at 32(Image credit: Getty Images)
Majka is honoured by the peloton(Image credit: Getty Images)
Matilda is an NCTJ-qualified journalist based in the UK who joined Cyclingnews in March 2025. Prior to that, she worked as the Racing News Editor at GCN, and extensively as a freelancer contributing to Cyclingnews, Cycling Weekly, Velo, Rouleur, Escape Collective, Red Bull and more. She has reported on the ground at all of the biggest events on the calendar, including the men's and women's Tours de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a Espana, the Spring Classics and the World Championships. She has particular experience and expertise in women's cycling, and women's sport in general. She is a graduate of modern languages and sports journalism.
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