The great names of the Coppa Bernocchi don't speak only foreign languages. Following the announcement of Australian Michael Matthews, fresh from his silver medal in the road race at Montreal, the Legnano classic plays a second heavyweight card, this time entirely Italian.

On October 5th, at the start of the 107th Coppa Bernocchi – 50th GP Banco BPM, there will also be Filippo Ganna, returning from the World Championships in Montreal with two medals around his neck: silver in the elite individual time trial, and gold in the Mixed Relay Team Time Trial, a historic success for Italy, claiming its first world title in this specialty.

A double world podium that adds further prestige to the presence of the Piedmont champion, and opens another chapter of a story that, with Legnano, has much deeper roots.

FROM FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD TO CHAMPION: GANNA'S STORY BEGINS IN LEGNANO
Because even before the Coppa Bernocchi, before world medals and Olympic medals, Filippo Ganna had already left his mark on the roads of Legnano. It was September 4th, 2011 when a just fifteen-year-old Ganna, then riding for Pedale Ossolano, conquered the 38th Gran Premio Pino Cozzi, a race organized by U.S. Legnanese 1913 and reserved for the Juniors category.

Over a 78km course, the young Piedmont rider won in a tight sprint, claiming what was his sixth victory of the season; a victory that Ganna has never forgotten, indeed: in 2016, on the occasion of the inauguration of the new headquarters of U.S. Legnanese 1913, it was he himself who recalled that success and his connection with Legnano.

Since then, practically everything has changed. That 15-year-old boy has become world champion, Olympic champion, multiple world champion on track and road, holder of the hour record and one of the greatest protagonists of international cycling.

GANNA, A CAREER AT FULL SPEED
Born in 1996, from Verbania, professional since 2015, Filippo Ganna is one of the greatest time trial specialists of the modern era, but over the years he has proven to be much more than a phenomenal man against the clock.

To mention just a few, his palmares include two world titles in the individual time trial – Imola 2020 and Bruges 2021 – as well as numerous world podiums. At Montreal 2026 he added a new world silver in the time trial, finishing behind Belgian Remco Evenepoel.

A few days later, came the triumph in the mixed relay: Ganna, Cattaneo and Sobrero built the advantage in the men's leg, before Guazzini, Longo Borghini and Trinca Colonel completed the job. His palmares also tells of an Olympic title in team pursuit at Tokyo 2020, other world successes on track (seven so far among individual and team titles), and the hour record, plus a long series of prestigious victories and placings on the road.

SEVEN YEARS LATER, GANNA RETURNS TO THE BERNOCCHI
And Ganna also has a story to tell about the Coppa Bernocchi. Even before becoming the champion that everyone knows today, he had already tackled the roads of Legnano as a professional: 76th in 2017; 88th in 2018 and 71st in 2019. Three participations belonging to a completely different phase of his career. In 2017 he was a young professional of just 21 years old. Today, seven years after his last appearance, he returns to the Coppa Bernocchi as world champion, Olympic champion and absolute protagonist of international cycling.

But there is a thread that links the Ganna of then to the one of today: Legnano. First the GP Pino Cozzi conquered at age 15. Then the Coppa Bernocchi as a professional. Now the return, as a champion, to the 107th edition of the Legnano classic.