The race:
260 km. Hilly course (San Fedele d’Intelvi Balisio, Madonna del Ghisallo, Colma di Sormano). The final challenge in San Fermo della Battaglia, 5.2 km from the finish. Departure from Milan at 10:45 local (French time). Arrive around 17:00.

Participation:
25 teams.
Omega Pharma, Acqua e Sapone, AG2R-La Mondiale, Androni, Astana, BMC, Caisse d’Epargne, Cervélo CarmioOro, Cofidis, CSF, Euskaltel, FDJ, Garmin-Transitions, ISD, Lampre, Liquigas, Quick Step, Rabobank, RadioShack, Sky, HTC-Columbia, Katusha, Milram, Saxo Bank

Favorites:
Philippe Gilbert (BEL), Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Alexander Kolobnev (RUS), Samuel Sanchez (ESP), Cadel Evans (AUS), Michele Scarponi (ITA), Giovanni Visconti (ITA), Andy Schleck (LUX) Jakob Fuglsang (DEN), Chris Horner (USA)

Notably absent:
Damiano Cunego (ITA), Alexandre Vinokourov (KAZ), Robert Gesink (NED), Frank Schleck (LUX), Alberto Contador (ESP)

Victories:
67 victories in 103 Italian editions since its inception in 1905,
11 for Belgium and France,
4 for Switzerland,
3 in Ireland and the Netherlands,
1 in Great Britain, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Russia.
Record of five successes for the Italian Fausto Coppi, between 1946 and 1954.

The latest winners:
2000: Raimondas Rums (LTU)
2001: Danilo Di Luca (ITA)
2002: Michele Bartoli (ITA)
2003: Michele Bartoli (ITA)
2004: Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2005: Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2006: Paolo Bettini (ITA)
2007: Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2008: Damiano Cunego (ITA)
2009: 1. Philippe Gilbert (BEL)
2. Samuel Sanchez (ESP)
3. Alexandre Kolobnev (RUS) at 07 sec