Italy’s 21-athlete roster has been officially announced for the Elite Track Cycling World Championships, scheduled to take place from October 14 to 18 at the Shanghai Velodrome on Chongming Island. This major global competition marks the opening milestone of the new Olympic qualification cycle leading toward the Los Angeles 2028 Games. The Azzurri head to China aiming to build upon their performance from the 2025 World Championships in Santiago del Chile, where the national team secured three medals.
Chasing Momentum from Santiago to Shanghai
Italy’s campaign in South America last year yielded three podium finishes, highlighted by gold medals in the women’s team pursuit and Elia Viviani’s victory in the elimination race, alongside a bronze in the Madison claimed by Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini. Technical commissioners Diego Bragato, Ivan Quaranta, Edoardo Salvoldi, and Marco Villa selected a balanced squad of seasoned champions and rising talents to tackle the five-day racing schedule.
Youthful Energy Meets Olympic Pedigree
The Italian delegation balances its veteran core with a wave of promising young athletes who have consistently impressed on the international circuit. The men’s squad welcomes 19-year-old Alessio Magagnotti, 20-year-olds Davide Stella and Etienne Grimod, and 21-year-old Matteo Fiorin. In the sprint sector, 18-year-old Filippo Cusumano earns a call-up following his junior world championship bronze in the team sprint and a rapid transition from BMX to the velodrome.
On the women’s side, the roster features the return of elite talent Elisa Balsamo alongside the reigning Olympic Madison champions, Vittoria Guazzini and Chiara Consonni. The women’s team pursuit lineup reunites four of the five riders who captured the world title last year in Santiago: Martina Alzini, Chiara Consonni, Martina Fidanza, and Vittoria Guazzini. Federica Venturelli remains absent due to injury, while Rachele Barbieri makes her return to the World Championships following her elite scratch world title victory in 2017.
The Shanghai Schedule and Event Outlook
Competition at the Shanghai Velodrome runs from October 14 through October 18, with local time in China sitting six hours ahead of Italy. Opening day features qualifying sessions in the morning followed by evening finals in the women’s scratch, women’s team sprint, and men’s team sprint. Subsequent days will distribute medals across endurance and sprint disciplines, culminating in the final block of events on Sunday, October 18, which features the men’s Madison, women’s points race, men’s elimination race, men’s sprint, and women’s keirin.
