Canadian sports news — Italy finally broke through on Tuesday, winning the Mixed Team Relay Gold at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, clocking 51:32.28 over 40.6 kilometres to beat France and Switzerland in one of the most dramatic finishes of the week. After silver in 2022 and bronze in 2024, the Italians own this event at last — and they did it on Canadian soil.
By Maplestime News Desk | Montreal, Quebec | September 23, 2026
Sources: Canadian Cycling Magazine, AFP (via The National Times) | Last updated: September 23, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Italy won the mixed team relay team time trial in 51:32.28 (47.266 km/h average) — the country’s first-ever world title in the event
- France took silver, 8.63 seconds back; Switzerland claimed bronze, 19.90 seconds back, after Stefan Küng suffered a mechanical
- Filippo Ganna’s men’s trio reached the changeover in 24:23.86; Elisa Longo Borghini’s women’s trio brought it home
- Canada finished 9th (+2:07.68); the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain skipped the event to focus on individual races
- The 2026 UCI Road World Championships run September 20–27 in Montreal — the city’s first hosting since 1974
How the Mixed Team Relay Gold Was Won
The mixed team relay is one of cycling’s youngest world championship events: three men and three women, each riding half the course. The men ride first, then the women take over at a mid-course changeover — and the clock never stops.
On Tuesday, Italy’s men — Filippo Ganna, Mattia Cattaneo and Matteo Sobrero — hit the changeover in 24:23.86, putting the team in control of the race. Then the women’s trio of Vittoria Guazzini, Elisa Longo Borghini and Monica Trinca Colonel did what Italy had failed to do in 2022 and 2024: close the deal.
France pushed them all the way to the line, falling just 8.63 seconds short. Switzerland looked dangerous until Stefan Küng’s mechanical problem torpedoed their medal bid — they still held on for bronze, 19.90 seconds behind the Italians.
The Riders Behind the Victory
Elisa Longo Borghini, one of the most decorated riders in the women’s peloton, could barely contain herself afterward: “We’ve been chasing this title for so long. I love this event. I’m absolutely over the moon right now.”
Filippo Ganna, the driving force of the men’s effort, was equally emotional: “We’ve had to dig really deep. 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.”
Italy had come close before — silver at the 2022 worlds, bronze in 2024 — and this sextet was built to finish the job. Ganna remains one of the finest time trialists in the sport, and Longo Borghini brought the championship temperament that has made her a fixture of the Italian team for over a decade.
Canada’s Night in Montreal
The Canadian squad — Pier-André Côté, Michael Leonard and Nickolas Zukowsky on the men’s side, Olivia Baril, Nadia Gontova and Alison Jackson on the women’s — finished 9th, 2:07.68 behind the winning Italians.
It’s a respectable result on home roads, but the gap to the podium shows how far Canada’s time trial program still has to climb. Racing in front of a Montreal crowd at a home world championships is the kind of experience that can sharpen a young group, though — and Canada has been investing in its track and time trial talent in recent years.
The Bigger Picture at the 2026 Worlds
The relay was far from the only headline of the week. Remco Evenepoel of Belgium won the men’s elite individual time trial, and Marlen Reusser of Switzerland defended her women’s elite time trial title — on her 35th birthday, no less.
Notably absent from the mixed relay: the Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain, all of which skipped the event entirely to keep their riders fresh for the individual races. Italy clearly made the opposite calculation — and now owns the rainbow stripes for it.
The 2026 UCI Road World Championships continue in Montreal through September 27. The city is hosting the worlds for the first time since 1974, putting Canadian cycling on the global stage in a way it hasn’t been in half a century.
Maplestime will provide updates from the 2026 UCI Road World Championships as announcements are made through September 27, 2026.
Have a tip about the worlds in Montreal? Email [email protected]
Have a correction? Email [email protected]
Was Italy’s win the statement performance of the championships so far — or did France deserve it after pushing them to the line? Tell us in the comments. And share this with every Canadian cycling fan following the worlds in Montreal this week.
Enjoying Maplestime? Support independent Canadian journalism — no paywall, no corporate owners.
