Italy Captures First Mixed Relay World Title in Montreal Thriller

Italy has finally conquered the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial. On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the Italian squad surged to their first-ever world title in the collaborative discipline at the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal. Stopping the clock at 51:32.28, the Azzurri edged out a surging French squad by a razor-thin 8.59 seconds to claim the gold medal.

The victory ends a frustrating streak of near-misses for the Italian federation, which had previously settled for silver in 2022 and bronze in 2024, and definitively breaks the recent stranglehold that Australia and Switzerland had established over the event.[1][2][5]

The 40.4-kilometer event remains one of the most unique fixtures in global road cycling, standing as the only race where men and women compete together as a single unit for a unified medal. The format requires three men to complete a 20.2-kilometer lap of the city circuit before immediately handing over to three women for the anchor leg.

Because the squad's final time is taken the moment the second rider of the women's trio crosses the finish line, the discipline demands perfect pacing, aerodynamic cohesion, and the ability to keep at least two riders together through the grueling final kilometers.[5][6][7]

Filippo Ganna, Mattia Cattaneo, and Matteo Sobrero set the tone early for the Italians. Bouncing back from a disappointing silver-medal finish behind Belgium's Remco Evenepoel in Sunday's individual time trial, Ganna was visibly motivated, driving the Italian men to a blistering 24:23.86 split at the changeover. The trio averaged an immense 49.9 km/h over the undulating Montreal circuit, posting the fastest men's time of the 15-team field and putting their female counterparts in the driver's seat for the second half of the race.[2][3][6]

That massive opening effort handed Vittoria Guazzini, Monica Trinca Colonel, and Elisa Longo Borghini an 11.30-second cushion over France and 12.21 seconds over defending champion Australia as they rolled down the start ramp.

The French trio of Juliette Berthet, Marion Borras, and Cédrine Kerbaol refused to fold, mounting a fierce late charge that steadily cut into the deficit over the final five kilometers. However, Longo Borghini's group held firm through the technical final corners to secure the rainbow jerseys, finishing with an overall average speed of 47.266 km/h across the combined distance.[2][5][6]

"We've been chasing this title for so long," Longo Borghini told reporters after the finish, reflecting on the years of podium finishes that fell just short of gold. "I love this event. I'm absolutely over the moon right now." Ganna echoed the sentiment, noting the immense physical toll the Montreal circuit demanded. "We've had to dig really deep," the two-time individual world champion said. "We've been chasing this title for a long time. It's a moment that will stay with us for the rest of our careers."[1]

While Italy celebrated a flawless execution, pre-race favorite Switzerland saw their own gold medal hopes evaporate in the chaotic opening kilometers. Stefan Küng, one of the world's premier time trialists, suffered a disastrous mechanical issue—reported by various outlets as a puncture compounded by broken handlebars—that forced him out of the paceline almost immediately.

Because the men's time is taken on the second rider, that left Mauro Schmid and Stefan Bissegger to navigate the remainder of the men's leg a man down, bleeding precious seconds on the circuit's climbs and reaching the transition a devastating 35 seconds off the Italian pace.[3][4][5]

Despite starting the women's half in a massive hole, Marlen Reusser—fresh off her own elite individual time trial victory earlier in the week—put on an absolute masterclass in damage control. Reusser, riding alongside Noemi Rüegg, dragged the Swiss squad back into contention, clawing back enough time over the final 20.2 kilometers to rescue the bronze medal. Switzerland ultimately finished 19.86 seconds behind Italy, a miraculous recovery that bumped the defending champions off the podium entirely.[2][3][6][7]

Australia, the two-time defending champions who took gold in both 2024 and 2025, simply did not have the firepower to match the European squads on Tuesday. The team of Michael Matthews, Cameron Rogers, Conor Leahy, Georgia Baker, Mackenzie Coupland, and Felicity Wilson-Haffenden slipped to fourth place, finishing 40.48 seconds adrift after Coupland reportedly struggled to hold the wheel late in the race. Germany rounded out the top five at 48 seconds back, while a strong early ride from Spain earned them sixth place at 1:10 down.[2][5][8]

The start list in Montreal was notably missing a few traditional cycling powerhouses, a factor that undoubtedly reshaped the afternoon's medal battle. Great Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, and Belgium all opted out of the mixed relay entirely, leaving the 15-team field slightly depleted.

Federation directors for those absent nations preferred to save their riders' legs for the grueling individual road races scheduled for the upcoming weekend. It is a strategic choice that continues to spark debate among fans and pundits about the mixed relay's overall prestige on an increasingly crowded World Championship calendar.[4][7]

For Italy, however, the prestige of the event is absolutely beyond question. The victory adds a historic gold to a national trophy cabinet that had previously lacked a mixed relay title, validating the federation's decision to field their absolute strongest riders rather than resting them. As the 2026 World Championships pivot toward the weekend's highly anticipated elite road races, the Italian squad has already secured one of the week's most elusive, collaborative, and uplifting prizes, setting a triumphant tone for the remainder of their campaign in Canada.[1][6]