Elisa Balsamo has signed a contract extension with Trek-Segafredo that will see her racing with the American Women's WorldTour team through 2026.
General manager Luca Guercilena said that it was not only her winning sprint that led to an extension but also her enthusiasm, charisma, determination and team spirit.
"It would be reductive to think that we proposed the extension only because of her results. Elisa brought a lot more to the team; enthusiasm, charisma, determination, team spirit and always with a proactive approach. These are the qualities that made her an all-around leader in such a short time," Guercilena said.
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"When we signed the first contract, before her victory at the World Championships in Leuven, she was a well-known promising talent. One year later, we are now talking about one of the strongest riders on the scene. And the best, in our opinion, is yet to come."
Balsamo signed her first WorldTour contract with Trek-Segafredo for the 2022 season after winning the road race world title in Leuven at the end of 2021.
She bookended a remarkable year in the rainbow jersey with victories at stage 1 of the Setmana Valenciana in February and on the final stage 5 at the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta in September.
In between, Balsamo's season highlights included what she called a 'golden week' of wins at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem. She also secured a stage win at the Tour de Suisse, two wins at Giro d'Italia Donne, and won the road race at the Italian National Championships.
"The bond that has been created between this team and me is great, almost unique," Balsamo, who will graduate in modern literature in Turin in April said. "We have such a deep relationship that, a few days ago, while I was racing the European Champs on track, I had goosebumps following Elisa [Longo Borghini] and Gaia [Realini] triumphing at UAE Tour.
"I wasn't there, but the sense of belonging to this group made me excited as if I were there pedalling with them. This fact perfectly illustrates how important this team is to me.
"2022 was an unforgettable year, but there is a story that is yet to be written. I have many goals in my head, and with the team, we share the same ambition. Luca and Ina [Teutenberg], jokingly, threw me the challenge of becoming a collector of Classics... needless to say, the challenge was accepted."
Teutenberg said that Balsamo's performances and training and how she relates to her teammates have been beyond expectations during last season and that she is looking forward to the next four seasons.
"She honoured the world champion's jersey as only a few were able to. She handled the pressure and expectations with impressive results. She is a special rider, one that a team director would always want to work with. I'm really excited when I think about what’s coming."
