Julien Alaphilippe has put an early end to his 2019 season, with Philippe Gilbert and Enric Mas set to lead the Detuninck-Quickstep line on Saturday at Il Lombardia.

Alaphilippe said that after a very successful year that included winning Milan-San Remo, Strade Bianche, La Flèche Wallonne, and two stages of the Tour de France, he was not in the best of shape before the final monument of the season.

A two-time winner of the "Race of the Fallen Leaves," Gilbert is the most important rider in Quick Step's seven-man lineup. But the veteran Belgian has been focusing on flatter classics in recent years, winning Paris-Roubaix in April and targeting the Yorkshire World Championships last month.

Mass may be the biggest threat to the Belgian team. The 24-year-old Spaniard, who finished 51st in his debut race in Lombardy last year, finished 10th in Wednesday's Milan-Torino race, which Gilbert failed to complete.

Joining Gilbert and Mas on the starting line in Bergamo will be Bob Jungels. He failed to replicate his sensational spring performance in the second half of the season and failed to finish in Milano-Torino; 23-year-old Englishman James Knox makes his Monument debut, and Remi Cavagna, Eros Capecchi, and Petr Vacocq round out the team.

"Having won two Monuments this year, Sanremo and Roubaix, we hope to finish the European season with another strong performance in Lombardia, a beautiful race where we have tasted success many times," said sport director Davide Bramati.

The Lombardia, held for the third year in a row, is a 243-km race from Bergamo to Como. After some early climbs, the action heats up on the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo, with its famous chapel at the top, and the steep Colma di Solmano, known as "The Wall." With just over 20km to go, Civiglio's decisive climb is followed by San Fermo di Battaglia, which culminates with just over 5km to go.

"The route brings nothing new. In other words, it is a tough course that will force you to make some serious choices by the time you approach the final climb, Battaglia, as it has done many times in the past," Bramati said.