Elisa Balsamo (born 27 February 1998) is an Italian

road A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's World Team , and represents Italy at international competitions. After competing at the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in the women's junior road race she became junior world champion at the

2016 UCI Road World Championships The 2016 UCI Road World Championships took place in Doha, Qatar, in October 2016. The championships was moved from the traditional September to October to avoid extreme hot and blustery weather. The event consisted of a road race, a team time tr ...

in the junior's road race. She won the gold medal at the 2016 UEC European Track Championships in the team pursuit.

Early life

Balsamo was born in

Cuneo Cuneo (; pms, Coni ; oc, Coni/Couni ; french: Coni ) is a city and ''comune'' in Piedmont, Northern Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area. It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in ...

in 1998. Her father was an amateur cyclist. Before taking up cycling, she had competed in a number of

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

disciplines, as well as

biathlon The biathlon is a winter sport that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It is treated as a race, with contestants skiing through a cross-country trail whose distance is divided into shooting rounds. The shooting rounds are not time ...

and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

Career

Balsamo's first major win came at the

in Doha, where she won the Road Race in a bunch sprint ahead of

Skylar Schneider Skylar Schneider (born September 3, 1998) is an American cyclist, who currently rides for American amateur team . Career As a junior at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships, Schneider finished second in the road race, while taking fourth in the ...

. She signed for for the 2017 season. Her first professional win came at the

Omloop van Borsele Omloop van Borsele ("Circuit of Borsele") is an elite List of women's road bicycle races, women's professional road bicycle race held annually since 2002 in Borsele, Netherlands. Since 2012 in women's road cycling, 2012, the event also contains a ...

in April 2018, followed by a win at the GP Bruno Beghelli later in the year. In 2019, Balsamo finished first in a bunch sprint at the Dwars door de Westhoek, as well as stages at the

Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...

and the Giro delle Marche in Rosa. In 2020, Balsamo won the final stage of the Madrid Challenge, overtaking

Lorena Wiebes Lorena Wiebes (born 17 March 1999) is a Dutch racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . She rode for in the women's team time trial event at the 2018 UCI Road World Championships. She won the gold medal in road cycling at ...

in the final 50 metres. Balsamo began the 2021 season with a win at the GP Oetingen. She competed for

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...

; whilst she broke the Italian record as part of the

team pursuit The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...

, she finished in 8th position in the

madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

and outside the Top 10 in the

omnium An omnium (from Latin '' Omni'': of all, belonging to all) is a multiple race event in track cycling. Historically the omnium has had a variety of formats. In recent years, road racing has also adopted the term to describe multi-day races that fe ...

. After a period of stage racing in Spain and The Netherlands, during which she finished second in the

Grand Prix d'Isbergues Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and c ...

, she was selected as part of the Italian team for the

UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...

. After a number of attempts by the Dutch team to break away from the group, Balsamo won the bunch sprint from the remaining group of around 25 riders, ahead of

Marianne Vos Marianne Vos (; born 13 May 1987) is a Dutch multi-discipline cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam . After winning a junior European and World Championship in road racing, she continued her success in senior cycling by becomin ...

. Her first win as World Champion came at

The Women's Tour The Women's Tour is a women's cycle stage race held in England and Wales, as part of the UCI Women's World Tour. The race is organised by SweetSpot, the company behind the men's Tour of Britain. History Its origins trace back to 2010 whe ...

, in which she won the final stage.

Major results

Track

;2015 : 1st jersey rainbow

Scratch, UCI World Junior Championships : 1st UEC Champion Jersey

Team pursuit, UEC European Junior Championships : 1st MaillotItalia

Team pursuit, National Junior Championships ;2016 : 1st European champion jersey 2016

Team pursuit The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...

, UEC European Championships : UCI World Junior Championships ::1st jersey rainbow

Omnium ::1st jersey rainbow

Team pursuit : UEC European Junior Championships ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Omnium ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Team pursuit : 1st MaillotItalia

Scratch, National Junior Championships : 1st Individual pursuit, 3 Jours d'Aigle : 2nd silver medal blank

Team pursuit, UCI World Cup,

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

;2017 : UEC European Championships ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Team pursuit ::3rd Omnium : UEC European Under-23 Championships ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Omnium ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Team pursuit ::3rd Madison : UCI World Cup,

Pruszków Pruszków ( yi, ‏פּרושקאָוו) is a city in east-central Poland, situated in the Masovian Voivodeship since 1999. It was previously in Warszawa Voivodeship (1975–1998). Pruszków is the capital of Pruszków County, located along t ...

::1st

Team pursuit ::3rd Bronze medal blank

Individual pursuit ::3rd Bronze medal blank

Madison (with

Maria Giulia Confalonieri Maria Giulia Confalonieri (born 30 March 1993) is an Italian track and road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's World Tour Team Uno-X Pro Cycling. She previously rode for UCI Women's Continental Team . As a Junior rider on th ...

) : 6 Giorni di Torino internazionale ::1st Omnium ::1st Points : Belgian International Meeting ::2nd Omnium ::3rd Madison (with Rachele Barbieri) : 2nd Omnium, Prilba Moravy ;2018 : UEC European Under-23 Championships ::1st European champion jersey 2016

Team pursuit ::3rd Madison : 1st MaillotItalia

Madison, National Championships : 2nd Silver medal blank

Team pursuit, UEC European Championships : 3rd Bronze medal blank

UCI World Championships The UCI world championships are annual competitions promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to determine world champion cyclists. They are held in several different styles of racing, in a different country each year. Championship winne ...

;2022 : 1st Jersey rainbow

Road

;2015 : 3rd Road race, National Junior Championships : 5th Trofeo Avis Suvereto : 6th Road race, UCI World Junior Championships : 6th Giro della Provincia di Pordenone ;2016 : 1st Jersey rainbow

Road race, UCI World Junior Championships : 1st MaillotItalia

Road race, National Junior Championships : 2nd Road race, UEC European Junior Championships : 2nd

Gent–Wevelgem Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the To ...

Juniors : 3rd Trofeo Mendelspeck : 4th Gran Premio Hotel Fiera Bolzano : 7th Trofeo Oro in Euro-Women's Bike Race-Mem. E.Coli : 8th Memorial Diego e Stefano Trovó ;2017 : 1st Giro Dei Due Comuni : 1st Grand Prix Crevoisier : 1st Jersey blue

Sprints classification,

Giro della Toscana The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. From 2005 to 2014, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race was not held in 2015. On 4 April 2016 it was announced that the race will ...

: 2nd

Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli The Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli (also known as GP Beghelli) is a late season men's road bicycle race held annually in Monteveglio, near the city of Bologna, Italy. From 2005 to 2013, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe T ...

: 2nd

Sparkassen Giro The Sparkassen Giro Bochum is a road bicycle race which is annually held for both men's and women's around an urban circuit in the German city of Bochum, Germany. Since 2005 the men's race is part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Ci ...

: 2nd Memorial F. Basso : 7th SwissEver GP Cham-Hagendorn ;2018 : 1st

: 1st

: 2nd

Grand Prix de Dottignies The Grand Prix de Dottignies is an elite women's professional one-day road bicycle race held in Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country ...

: 5th Time trial, UEC European Under-23 Championships ;2019 : 1st Trofee Maarten Wynants : 1st

Dwars door de Westhoek The GP Stad Roeselare is an elite women's road bicycle race held annually in Roeselare, Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordere ...

: 2nd

;2020 : 1st European champion jersey 2016

Road race, UEC European Under-23 Championships : 1st Stage 3 Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta ;2021 : 1st Jersey rainbow

Road race,

: 1st Stage 6

: 3rd

Scheldeprijs The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten. Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour, ...

: 3rd

Brabantse Pijl The Brabantse Pijl ( en, Brabant Arrow, french: italic=yes, Flèche Brabançonne or ''Flèche Branconne'') is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant and in Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been or ...

: 4th

: 7th Trofeo Alfredo Binda : 7th

: 10th Road race, UEC European Championships ;2022 : 1st MaillotItalia

Road race, National Championships : 1st Trofeo Alfredo Binda : 1st

Classic Brugge–De Panne The Classic Brugge–De Panne is a road cycling race in Belgium in late March. Since 2018 it is raced over two days with a men's race on Wednesday and a women's race on Thursday. Both races start in Bruges and finish in the seaside resort of De Pa ...

: 1st

: Giro d'Italia ::1st Stages 1 & 4 : 1st Stage 1

Setmana Ciclista Valenciana The Setmana Ciclista Valenciana is an annual professional road bicycle race Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, i ...

: 2nd

Ronde van Drenthe Ronde van Drenthe ( en, Tour of Drenthe) is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Drenthe, Netherlands and sanctioned by the Royal Dutch Cycling Union. Since 1998 there is also a women's event, kn ...

: 4th

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe, and ...

: 8th

Amstel Gold Race The Amstel Gold Race is an annual one-day classic road cycling race held in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classic ...

Classics results timeline

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balsamo, Elisa 1998 births Living people Italian female cyclists Italian track cyclists People from Cuneo Cyclists at the 2019 European Games European Games medalists in cycling European Games gold medalists for Italy European Games bronze medalists for Italy Cyclists of Fiamme Oro Olympic cyclists of Italy Cyclists at the 2020 Summer Olympics Cyclists from Piedmont Sportspeople from the Province of Cuneo 21st-century Italian women UCI Track Cycling World Champions (women)