Italy Takes Mixed Team Relay Gold, First in 13 Years

Italy won the Mixed Team Relay gold at the 2026 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole. The home team beat Switzerland by 51 seconds to claim its first rainbow jersey in the event in 13 years.

A race flipped in two laps

Italy sent elite man Juri Zanotti out first to grab the early lead. Austria then took control and held it for three laps, with Mona Mitterwallner pushing the gap to 1 minute and 35 seconds after lap four. Italy and Switzerland sat together in the chase.

The race swung on the penultimate lap. Under-23 riders Valentina Corvi and Fabio Bassignana rode Italy back into the lead, and the team never looked back on the tough 3.5-kilometre circuit.

A long wait ends on home dirt

The winning order was Zanotti, Paolo Costa, Martina Berta, Giorgia Pellizotti, Corvi and Bassignana. They stopped the clock at 1:08:06. Switzerland, with Luca Schatti anchoring, took silver. Riley Amos drove the United States to bronze, holding off Canada.

Each rider faced 200 metres of climbing per lap, a format that leaves no room to hide. Italy’s closing strength turned a clear deficit into a comfortable victory.

Italy last won this world title in 2013. On a warm August evening in Val di Sole, a new group of riders brought the jersey home.