Elisa Balsamo (born 27 February 1998) is an Italian road and track cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's World Team , 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.
Early life
Balsamo was born in Cuneo in 1998. Her father was an amateur cyclist. Before taking up cycling, she had competed in a number of skiing disciplines, as well as biathlon and swimming.
Career
Balsamo's first major win came at the 2016 UCI Road World Championships in Doha, where she won the Road Race in a bunch sprint ahead of Skylar Schneider. She signed for for the 2017 season. Her first professional win came at the Omloop van Borsele in April 2018, followed by a win at the GP Bruno Beghelli later in the year.
In 2019, Balsamo finished first in a bunch sprint at the Dwars door de Westhoek, as well as stages at the Tour of California 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.
Balsamo began the 2021 season with a win at the GP Oetingen. 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. After a period of stage racing in Spain and The Netherlands, during which she finished second in the Grand Prix d'Isbergues, 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. Her first win as World Champion came at The Women's Tour, in which she won the final stage.
Major results
Track
2015
1st Scratch, UCI World Junior Championships
1st Team pursuit, UEC European Junior Championships
1st Team pursuit, National Junior Championships
2016
1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships
UCI World Junior Championships
1st Omnium
1st Team pursuit
UEC European Junior Championships
1st Omnium
1st Team pursuit
1st Scratch, National Junior Championships
1st Individual pursuit, 3 Jours d'Aigle
2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Cup, Glasgow
2017
UEC European Championships
1st Team pursuit
3rd Omnium
UEC European Under-23 Championships
1st Omnium
1st Team pursuit
3rd Madison
UCI World Cup, Pruszków
1st Team pursuit
3rd Individual pursuit
3rd Madison (with Maria Giulia Confalonieri) 6 Giorni di Torino internazionale 1st Omnium 1st Points Belgian International Meeting 2nd Omnium 3rd Madison (with Rachele Barbieri) 2nd Omnium, Prilba Moravy 2018 UEC European Under-23 Championships 1st Team pursuit 3rd Madison 1st Madison, National Championships 2nd Team pursuit, UEC European Championships 3rd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships 2022 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships