Italy has won the Mixed Team Relay at the UCI Road World Championships for the first time, beating France after a fast and dramatic afternoon in Montréal. Switzerland recovered from Stefan Küng’s costly puncture to claim bronze, while defending champion Australia finished just off the podium.
The Mixed Team Relay occupied centre stage midway through the 2026 World Championships, with each nation fielding three men and three women. The men completed the opening 20.2-kilometre lap before handing over to the women for another lap of the same Montréal circuit—a total race distance of 40.4 kilometres.
The Netherlands, Belgium and Great Britain all elected to skip the event, preferring to save their riders for the individual races. Their absence opened the door for the other big time-trial nations, with defending champion Australia, Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany expected to fight for the medals.
Spain Sets the Early Standard
The World Cycling Centre team was first down the start ramp, but the serious medal contenders arrived later in the afternoon.
Linda Jackson leads Olivia Baril and Nadia Gontova of Canada, finishing 9th
Poland, Norway, host nation Canada and Spain were among the first strong teams to take on the course. Spain delivered the standout performance from that group, powered by Iván Romeo and Héctor Álvarez in the men’s leg before Paula Blasi helped drive the women home.
Spain stopped the clock at 52:43, almost 40 seconds faster than Norway and Poland, earning an extended spell in the hot seat and keeping their medal hopes alive.
France was never far out of the picture. Bruno Armirail, Rémi Cavagna and Jordan Labrosse kept Les Bleus within 12 seconds of Italy after the men’s leg, giving Juliette Berthet, Marion Borras and Cédrine Kerbaol a genuine shot at the rainbow jerseys.
Küng’s Puncture Hits Switzerland
Germany and Switzerland both started quickly. Germany was one second ahead of Spain at the opening time check, while the Swiss were three seconds faster and appeared to be building a serious challenge for the rainbow jerseys.
Then disaster struck.
Stefan Küng, one of the most important engines in the Swiss team, suffered a puncture. His race was effectively over, and Switzerland’s hopes of winning the world title took a heavy blow.
While the Swiss were dealing with their setback, the Italian express was gathering speed.
Mattia Cattaneo, Matteo Sobrero and Filippo Ganna tore around the Montréal course at an average speed of 49.9 kilometres per hour. It was the fastest men’s time of the day and put Italy in control heading into the women’s half of the race.
Filippo Ganna put the Italian train on track for gold
Vittoria Guazzini, Monica Trinca Colonel and Elisa Longo Borghini rolled away with an 11-second advantage over Australia and 12 seconds over France. Those were useful margins—but certainly not enough to guarantee anything.
Switzerland started the women’s leg half a minute down following Küng’s puncture. With newly crowned world time-trial champion Marlen Reusser still to come, the Swiss could not be completely dismissed, but overturning that deficit would require something extraordinary.
Longo Borghini Drives Italy to Gold
Italy never cracked.
Elisa Longo Borghini delivered when it mattered most
With an immensely strong Longo Borghini setting the pace, the Italian women protected the advantage created by Ganna, Cattaneo and Sobrero.
France produced a powerful final leg and began cutting into Italy’s lead over the closing kilometres, but the finish line arrived eight seconds too soon. Italy had done enough.
Reusser powered Switzerland through the final section and rescued the bronze medal, but Küng’s puncture left the Swiss wondering what might have been.
Australia, the defending champion, finished fourth and just outside the medals.
For Italy, there were no such regrets. Six riders, two flying laps of Montréal and one historic victory—it was the nation’s first Mixed Team Relay world title and another rainbow jersey for Italian cycling.
World Championships 2026 Mixed Time Trial Results
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