Italy\u2019s team pursuit squad of Filippo Ganna, Jonathan Milan, Francesco Lamon and Alessio Magagnotti reached the gold medal final at the 2026 Track World Championships in Shanghai on 14 October: on 15 October they face Denmark, world champions in 2024 and 2025. On day one the titles went to the Netherlands, in the men\u2019s team sprint and with Lorena Wiebes in the scratch race, and to China in the women\u2019s team sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Italy has no medals yet: the closest was Martina Fidanza, fourth in the scratch race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In qualifying the Italians set the third time, 3:47.272, behind Denmark and Great Britain. In the first round they beat the British: 3:45.332<\/mark> against 3:46.967, almost two seconds faster than in qualifying, at an average of about 63.9 km\/h.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Denmark, in the other heat of the fastest teams, beat Australia in 3:44.043, the best time of the round. The two fastest heat winners ride for gold; Great Britain and France ride for bronze. The United States of Taylor Phinney, back in international racing, are out: France beat them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Side by side, the splits of the two finalists show where the difference was made. Italy went through the first kilometre in 1:01.708 and two kilometres in 1:55.514, 0.516<\/mark> ahead of the Danes at the same point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The third kilometre was Italy\u2019s slowest, 54.928, and at three kilometres Denmark was already 117 thousandths ahead. In the last one the Danes rode 53.718, the Italians 54.890: that is where the 1.289 seconds between the two times came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The world record is 3:39.977: the best time of the day was about four seconds off it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reigning world champions Italy, with Elisa Balsamo, Martina Alzini, Martina Fidanza and Vittoria Guazzini, qualified third in 4:10.275, at about 57.5 km\/h. Ahead of them are Great Britain, 2.220<\/mark> faster, and Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The top eight ride the first round on 15 October and, a few hours later, the finals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the scratch race, 40 laps over 10 km, Fidanza was fourth, the first rider off the podium. Wiebes won her third straight title in the event, beating Ireland\u2019s Lara Gillespie by a few centimetres, with Portugal\u2019s Maria Martins third.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the sprint France\u2019s Valentine Fortin attacked with seven laps to go, and Belgium\u2019s H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Hesters led with four to go. Wiebes hit the front with two laps left and held on to the line; she said afterwards that she had to launch her sprint a bit too early. The race lasted 12:15, at an average of 48.98 km\/h<\/mark>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the men\u2019s race the Netherlands of Jeffrey Hoogland, Harrie Lavreysen and Roy van den Berg kept the title they also won in 2024 and 2025: 41.954<\/mark> in the final, about 64.4 km\/h over three laps, half a second faster than Australia (42.470). China took bronze, beating Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the women\u2019s race host nation China won with Jiang Yulu, Tong Mengqi and Yuan Liying: 45.578 against Great Britain\u2019s 45.933. Germany took bronze; the Netherlands, the defending champions, missed the final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Italy went out in qualifying: tenth in the men\u2019s race in 43.444, sixteenth in the women\u2019s in 49.208.<\/p>\n\n\n\nKilometre by kilometre<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Italy\u2019s women third in qualifying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fidanza fourth in the scratch race<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Netherlands and China in the team sprint<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Medal table after day one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n