Elisa Longo Borghini claimed her eighth Italian Elite Individual Time Trial Championship title on Saturday, while Giada Silo secured the Under-23 crown, bringing two more national titles to UAE Team L’IMAD and its development squad.
The championships took place in Piasco, Piedmont, after being postponed from their original June date.
Longo Borghini completed the 19.7-kilometre course in 23 minutes and 15 seconds, recording an average speed of 50.839 km/h to secure the overall victory.
Meanwhile, Silo finished fourth overall in 25 minutes and 12 seconds, earning the Italian Under-23 time trial title and completing a national championship double in 2026.
Elisa Longo Borghini claims her 14th Italian Elite title
Longo Borghini entered the competition as the reigning Italian road race champion and added another national title to her career achievements.
The Piedmont-born rider finished 54 seconds ahead of Alessia Vigilia of Uno-X Mobility, who claimed the silver medal.
Meanwhile, Letizia Borghesi of AG Insurance-Soudal Team completed the podium, finishing one minute and three seconds behind Longo Borghini.
The victory marked Longo Borghini’s eighth Italian Elite time trial title, bringing her total number of national Elite championships to 14, including six road race titles.
Her latest result adds to an extensive career record and concludes another successful season with UAE Team L’IMAD.
Longo Borghini reflects on another national championship
Despite the race taking place at the end of a long season, Longo Borghini emphasised the importance of competing for the national title.
“I’m very happy to have won another Italian National Championship because I believe it’s a race that should always be honoured, even though this year it came at the end of a very long season. It was a title I really wanted, because wearing the Italian champion’s jersey is always an honour.
I’ll be happy to wear it next year in some of the biggest races on the WorldTour calendar.”
The result means Longo Borghini will be able to wear the Italian national time trial champion’s jersey during eligible races in the 2027 season.
Giada Silo completes Italian Under-23 national double
There was further success for the UAE Development Team, as Giada Silo secured the Italian Under-23 Individual Time Trial Championship.
The young rider from Vicenza completed the 19.7-kilometre course in 25 minutes and 12 seconds, finishing fourth in the overall classification.
Her performance was enough to secure first place among Under-23 competitors and earn her second Italian national title of the season.
Earlier in June, Silo won the Italian Under-23 Road Race Championship. As a result, she concludes 2026 holding national titles in both the road race and individual time trial disciplines.
UAE Development Team rider Giada Silo secured the Italian Under-23 time trial title, completing a national championship double after winning the Under-23 road race title in June.
Silo celebrates second national title of 2026
Silo expressed satisfaction with her performance, particularly after managing fatigue towards the end of the racing season.
“I’m happy with this Italian champion’s jersey and with my performance overall, especially because we’re now at the end of the season and I was feeling a little tired. However, I really wanted to be here for the Italian National Championships, and I’m pleased with my result. Wearing the Italian champion’s jersey is always an honour.”
Her two national titles mark an important achievement in her development as a young rider and add to the UAE Development Team’s results for the season.
UAE Team L’IMAD concludes historic 2026 season
The two Italian national titles bring UAE Team L’IMAD’s 2026 campaign to a successful conclusion, following a season of major victories across international women’s cycling.
Just days before the championships, the team secured the 2026 UCI Women’s World Team number one ranking for the first time in its history.
The achievement followed a season in which nine different riders contributed 30 UCI road victories, helping the Abu Dhabi-based squad finish ahead of its closest rivals in the world rankings.
Longo Borghini played a central role in that success, recording major results throughout the year, including the overall victory at the UAE Tour Women and a third-place finish at the Tour de France Femmes.
Now, her latest national championship victory adds another title to the team’s season record, while Silo’s Under-23 success highlights the achievements of its development programme.
With both riders finishing the year as Italian champions, UAE Team L’IMAD and its development squad close the 2026 season with further recognition at national level.
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