Italy unveils World Championships men's squad without top favourites, but with some deadly underdogs
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleItaly is bringing a whole host of top-notch riders to the World Cycling Championships in Montréal, Canada. The Azzurri are fielding two team leaders who may not be among the top favorites right off the bat, but who certainly aren’t without a chance in the battle for the rainbow jersey. The same goes for the individual time trial.
ADVERTISEMENT
In their race against the clock, the elite men are setting their sights squarely on Filippo Ganna. The Italian’s last world time trial title dates back to 2021, when he was the best in Flanders. In the years that followed, he didn’t always compete, and Remco Evenepoel emerged as a seemingly unbeatable rival.
A new opportunity awaits in Montreal on Sunday, September 20, knowing that Ganna has devoted himself entirely to the World Championships since the Tour de France. His only other race was the Tour of Britain, where he won the points classification. Other than that, his focus has been solely on those 39.2 kilometers in Canada.
In addition to Ganna, Matteo Sobrero will also compete in the individual time trial. Ganna’s brother-in-law rides for Lidl-Trek and is normally capable of putting in a strong time trial performance. Neither rider will compete in a road race on September 27, allowing them to focus all their energy on this race on Sunday.
Read more below the photo
Filippo Ganna
Ciccone and Pellizzari lead Italy at the World Championships
For the road race in Canada, Italy is counting on Giulio Ciccone and Giulio Pellizzari. The Lidl-Trek climber (Ciccone) recently finished second in the GP Québec and also put in a solid performance at the GP Montréal, finishing seventh.
Ciccone deliberately skipped the Vuelta a España to focus entirely on the World Championships, as did Pellizzari. The 22-year-old climber from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe won a stage at the Tour of Burgos and the Lidl Deutschland Tour before competing in three Italian fall races.
Pellizzari won the Giro della Toscana and also finished in the top ranks in two other races. He and Ciccone will be joined by a strong lineup that includes Christian Scaroni, Davide Piganzoli, Lorenzo Finn, Mattia Cattaneo, Alberto Bettiol, and road captain Matteo Trentin. Don’t count Scaroni and Piganzoli out for a top result.
Italy National Team - 2026 World Cycling Championships
Time Trial
- Filippo Ganna - Netcompany INEOS
- Matteo Sobrero - Lidl-Trek
Road Race
- Alberto Bettiol – XDS Astana
- Mattia Cattaneo – Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
- Giulio Ciccone – Lidl-Trek
- Lorenzo Finn – Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies
- Giulio Pellizzari – Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
- Davide Piganzoli – Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Christian Scaroni – XDS Astana
- Matteo Trentin – Tudor
Read also
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
IDL-productions
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Vollering adds the Women’s European Championships road race jersey to her rainbow wardrobe
Latest Cycling News
Former Giro winner Tom Dumoulin records a blistering time at the New York Marathon
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Popular Cycling News
Tadej Pogačar on Mathieu van der Poel and Tom Boonen, but also kiwi/pineapple, visualisation and the Gravel World Championships
Modern Adventure just keeps growing: Hincapie's team strengthen 2027 roster with 4 great signings
Greg LeMond accuses Lance Armstrong of paying the UCI : 'Very bitter taste in my mouth'
UAE Emirates-XRG pulled out all the stops to bag 'exceptional climber' as future support for Pogačar
Tadej Pogacar told the New York Times just how bad his Vuelta crash was: 'I wasn’t a pleasant person to be around'
Latest Comments
- I don’t understand how you can break vertebrae and not feel much pain there. Does that mean the collarbone injury was just more noticeable, or can spinal fractures sometimes cause very little pain? Hope he’s fully healed soon.sprocketspiny01-11-2026
- The recovery-score details are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for proper medical advice. Hopefully the team are keeping a close eye on him and letting the scans—not the urge to train—set the timetable.jennifer1901-11-2026
- Pogacar’s point about the safety gap between the Tour and smaller races is spot on. Riders are going faster than ever, yet some finishes still have awkward turns and road furniture right in the finale. Organisers need to take this seriously.gearguru3301-11-2026
- Two extra vertebrae fractures is a frightening discovery, especially after the concussion and collarbone injury. Glad he’s recovering, but it shows why coming back too soon would be a terrible risk.breakawaybikerd01-11-2026
- The team says it wants answers “as quickly as possible”, but speed shouldn’t come at the expense of a thorough investigation. Since Picnic PostNL commissioned it, will the full report be published? The team’s transparency will matter as much as who leads the inquiry.cyclechamp4530-10-2026
- How can current riders give evidence without their comments being traced back to them? That seems especially important in a case about fear.raceready730-10-2026
- Olfers’ experience with the Rasmussen case is relevant: that inquiry also scrutinised the team’s decisions, not just the rider’s. Let’s hope this one looks closely at management and working conditions too.patriciaw30-10-2026
- An independent investigation is the right step, but it needs to be genuinely independent in practice. With 71 people already speaking to NOS and Thijs Zonneveld, Verinorm has a substantial starting point. I hope people can give evidence confidentially and the findings are made public.breakawaybikerd30-10-2026
- - I’m still figuring out the race categories: would a2 event like Battenkill attract the same teams and TV coverage as a WorldTour race?jennifer1929-10-2026
- - Seeing McNulty, Simmons and Jorgenson race on home roads would be a real boost. Hope this becomes more than just talk.raceready729-10-2026