The Netherlands take men’s team sprint gold, China win the women’s event, and Lorena Wiebes edges Lara Gillespie in a thrilling scratch race finish. Denmark and Italy will fight for the men’s team pursuit title on day two.
Men’s Team Sprint: The Netherlands Take Gold
The Netherlands won the men’s team sprint world title, with Australia taking silver and China claiming bronze.
The Dutch trio clocked 41.954 seconds in the gold medal final. Australia finished in 42.470, while China recorded 42.389 in the bronze medal race.
Italy finished 10th in qualifying in 43.444 seconds, with Matteo Bianchi, Filippo Cusumano and Mattia Predomo. It was Cusumano’s first Elite World Championships.
The team sprint is contested over three laps of the 250-metre track. Each rider leads for one lap before pulling off, leaving the final rider to complete the race alone. The timing of each changeover is crucial.
Japan’s bronze medal hopes were hit when their third rider struggled to stay on the wheel of his teammates, leaving him exposed to the wind for much of the final lap. Australia also looked capable of challenging the Netherlands for gold, leading for much of the final before the Dutch team came back on the last lap.
Women’s Team Sprint: China Win Gold
China claimed the women’s team sprint world title in 45.578 seconds, ahead of Great Britain in 45.933. Germany took bronze in 46.276.
Great Britain’s challenge was affected by a technical issue when Sophie Capewell’s saddle dropped during her effort, potentially compromising the team’s performance.
Italy finished 16th in qualifying in 49.208 seconds and did not advance. Matilde Cenci, Miriam Vece and Rachele Barbieri formed the Italian trio, with Barbieri stepping in as an endurance rider after Siria Trevisan was ruled out with a shoulder injury.
For Italy, fielding a women’s team sprint trio at the World Championships marked an important step in developing the discipline ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Women’s Scratch Race: Wiebes Wins by Centimetres
The women’s scratch race delivered one of the closest finishes of the opening day. The Netherlands’ Lorena Wiebes took gold, Ireland’s Lara Gillespie won silver, and Portugal’s Maria Martins claimed bronze.
The 40-lap, 10-kilometre race remained relatively controlled in the early stages, with riders taking turns at the front. With seven laps remaining, Valentine Fortin launched a solo attack. Wiebes closed the gap, but the pace then eased and the group came back together.
With four laps to go, Wiebes was positioned towards the back of the bunch before making a long move around the field. Italy’s Martina Fidanza was also in contention, but struggled to find a clear path through the group in the closing stages.
At the bell, Gillespie managed to follow Wiebes. The Dutch rider launched her sprint, but the Irishwoman stayed alongside her all the way to the line and almost came past in the final metres.
A photo finish was needed to separate them, with Wiebes taking the world title by just a few centimetres. Fidanza finished fourth after being boxed in with two laps remaining and having to move around several riders to launch her sprint.
Women’s Team Pursuit: Great Britain Lead Qualifying
Great Britain topped qualifying in the women’s team pursuit with a time of 4:08.055, ahead of Germany in 4:09.978. Italy finished third in 4:10.275, followed by the Netherlands in 4:13.843.
The Italian quartet consisted of Elisa Balsamo, Martina Alzini, Martina Fidanza and Vittoria Guazzini.
The gaps between the leading teams were relatively small, setting up an intriguing second day. The first round and finals are scheduled for tomorrow.
Men’s Team Pursuit: Italy to Face Denmark for Gold
Denmark set the fastest time in qualifying in the men’s team pursuit, clocking 3:44.991. Great Britain followed in 3:47.154, just ahead of Italy in 3:47.272. Australia qualified fourth in 3:48.797.
The first round reshuffled the order. Italy beat Great Britain in 3:45.322 to secure a place in the gold medal final, while Denmark advanced after defeating Australia in 3:44.043.
The final will see Italy take on reigning world champions Denmark on day two. The Italian quartet consisted of Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon, Jonathan Milan and Alessio Magagnotti, who is competing at his first Elite World Championships.
What to Watch on Day 2
The second day in Shanghai features several medal events, with the men’s team pursuit final between Italy and Denmark among the main highlights. Here are the key events and Italian riders to follow, with all times in Italian local time.
- 06:00 – Men’s Keirin, First Round: Mattia Predomo represents Italy.
- 06:27 – Women’s Sprint, Qualifying: Miriam Vece begins her sprint campaign.
- 11:05 – Women’s Team Pursuit, First Round: Italy returns to the track after qualifying third on day one.
- 12:00 – Men’s Team Pursuit Finals: Italy faces reigning world champions Denmark for the world title. The Italian quartet is Filippo Ganna, Francesco Lamon, Jonathan Milan and Alessio Magagnotti.
- 12:30 – Women’s Elimination Race: Rachele Barbieri lines up for Italy.
- 13:30 – Men’s Scratch Race: Davide Stella represents Italy.
- 13:48 – Women’s Team Pursuit Finals: The medals will be decided after the first round earlier in the day.
The men’s keirin and women’s sprint will also continue through their subsequent rounds during the day. For Italy, the biggest opportunity is the men’s team pursuit final, while the women’s team pursuit quartet will look to turn its strong qualifying performance into a medal challenge.
