ŠENČUR — Italy won the Junior Mixed Team Relay at the UEC European Championships in Slovenia on Tuesday, clocking 1:07:22 for the 44km race to beat Poland into second place with Switzerland third.
The Italian sextet of Enrico Balliana, Brandon Fedrizzi, Patrik Pezzo Rosola, Azzurra Ballan, Eisa Bianchi and Matilde Rossignoli delivered the winning ride around two laps of the 22km loop around Šenčur. As with the other races at this week's championships, the course featured the two-kilometre climb to Možanca and its double-digit gradients as the stiffest test.
Each of the 11 participating nations started with their three-man teams riding the first circuit before the women took over for the second. The field set off in two tranches, with five teams in the first and the remaining six setting off 44 minutes afterwards. Luxembourg emerged as the leaders from the first five nations, a surprising result after they fielded only two women for their second lap.
Italy were first off in the second tranche and set the fastest time at the changeover, with their women holding on to secure victory by 23 seconds. Poland finished second in 1:07:45, while Switzerland were a further seven seconds back in 1:07:52 to complete the podium. Germany were fourth in 1:08:09 ahead of Luxembourg in 1:08:57.