Elisa Balsamo (cyclist)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elisa Balsamo (born 27 February 1998) is an Italian road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's World Team Lidl–Trek,[3] 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 in the junior's road race. She won the gold medal at the 2016 UEC European Track Championships in the team pursuit.[4]
Career
Balsamo's first major win came at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, where she won the Junior Road Race in a bunch sprint ahead of Skylar Schneider.[6] She signed for Valcar–PBM for the 2017 season.[7] Her first professional win came at the Omloop van Borsele in April 2018,[8] followed by a win at the GP Bruno Beghelli later in the year.[9]
In 2019, Balsamo finished first in a bunch sprint at the Dwars door de Westhoek,[10] as well as stages at the Tour of California[11] and the Giro delle Marche in Rosa. In 2020, Balsamo won the final stage of the Madrid Challenge, overtaking Lorena Wiebes in the final 50 metres.[12]
Balsamo began the 2021 season with a win at the GP Oetingen.[13] She competed for Italy at the 2020 Summer Olympics; whilst she broke the Italian record as part of the team pursuit, she finished in 8th position in the madison and outside the Top 10 in the omnium.[14] After a period of stage racing in Spain and The Netherlands, during which she finished second in the Grand Prix d'Isbergues,[5] she was selected as part of the Italian team for the UCI Road World Championships. 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.[15] Her first win as World Champion came at The Women's Tour, in which she won the final stage.[16]
