Giro di Lombardia wraps the season up in style, with all the stars on show

Giro di Lombardia winner Dan Martin

Tucked away at the end of the road racing calendar, the Giro di Lombardia perhaps doesn't get the attention the monument deserves.

But as the classic of the falling leaves delivered another standout winner, in Irishman Dan Martin, there's no doubt that the riders hold it in the highest esteem, despite the scheduling.

For the riders, it must be hard to target Lombardia as a race to win on their calendar. Few professionals are able to peak twice in a season, meaning the classics specialists are six months out of season.

Those who do attempt to be in late-season form are generally targeting La Vuelta a Espana or the World Championships - thus the Lombardia comes when the stars are on the way down.

But for the fans, the position on the schedule allows them to see some of the biggest stars grace the roads between Como and Bergamo as they look to finish their season in style.

Sunday's race, for example, saw Vuelta champion Alberto Contador come up against serial Grand Tour contender Alejandro Valverde, while former double winners Joaquim Rodriguez and Philippe Gilbert joined newly crowned World Champion Michal Kwiatkowski in the peloton.

The top ten reads like a who's who of grand tour and classics stars of present and future - Valverde pipping Rui Costa for second, while Sami Sanchez, Michael Albasini, Gilbert, Rodriguez and Fabio Aru were all within a second of Martin.

And if recent history has anything to do with it, Martin, the second Irishman to win the monument, can be confident of being in with a shout in next year's race as well.

Between 2002 and 2013, only six riders have won the Lombardia, with the trend being for the new champion to retain their title the following season.

Michele Bartoli (2002-03), Damiano Cunego (2007-08), Paolo Bettini (2005-06) Gilbert (2009-10) and Rodriguez (2012-13) are all double winners in the last 12 years, so all eyes will be on Martin to see if he can match their efforts and cement his place within the world's best cyclists.