Elisa Balsamo secures women's road race title at Italian Road Championships
World Champion beats Rachele Barbieri and Barbara Guarischi in sprint






Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo) won her first elite women's road race title at the Italian Championships. The reigning World Champion won the sprint to take the title from runner-up Rachele Barbieri (Liv Racing Xstra) and third-placed Barbara Guarischi (Movistar Team).
The women raced a pan-flat route between Medolla and San Felice sul Panaro under warm 40 Celcius. The race was all together at the 60km mark indicating that the field looked all but set for a bunch sprint.
Defending champion Elisa Longo Borghini, who normally races for Trek-Segafredo, lined up in the Fiamme Oro-Polizia jersey for the national championships.
A group of three emerged with 40km to go that included Elena Pirrone (Fiamme Oro), Francesca Pisciali (Team Mendelspeck), Iris Monticello (Top Girls Fassa Bortolo).
The trio gained just under a minute on the field led by teams Be Pink, Isolmant Premac Vittoria, Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria and Top Girls-Fassa Bortolo.
The field back together in the closing kilometres, Balsamo was fastest to the line taking her first elite women's road race title.
Results powered by FirstCycling
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

Kirsten Frattini is the Deputy Editor of Cyclingnews, overseeing the global racing content plan.
Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
She began her sports journalism career with Cyclingnews as a North American Correspondent in 2006. In 2018, Kirsten became Women's Editor – overseeing the content strategy, race coverage and growth of women's professional cycling – before becoming Deputy Editor in 2023.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
UCI Gravel World Series – Devon Clarke and Benjamin Perry win Canada's Paris to Ancaster
Yehor Volkov and Anne-Sophie Hebert clinch runner-up spots in race inspired by Paris-Roubaix -
Tibor Del Grosso's first pro victory at Tour of Turkey invites comparisons: 'I don’t know if a new Van der Poel exists'
Dutchman vows to continue in cyclocross despite strong indicators for his road career -
USA CRITS: Alexis Magner charges to third consecutive win at Athens Twilight Criterium
Clever Martinez laps men's field with Will Hardin to go one-two in high-intensity Georgia race -
Giro d'Italia adds time bonus sprints to 19 stages of 2025 race in partnership with Red Bull to 'ignite fierce battles' in GC
New sponsorship and bonus seconds could spark more aggressive racing due to position of Red Bull KM intermediate sprints