The first gold medal for Italy at the 2026 Ljubljana Europeans arrives and it is signed by Azzurra Ballan, winning the road race reserved for junior women. Displaying great presence and composure, the class of 2008 slipped into the breakaway formed at the end of the third lap and then, with a decisive sprint at the end of the 66-kilometer race, beat in order the French Morgane Lestrade (silver) and the German Klara Dworatzek (bronze).

THE RACE

The race heats up at the end of the first descent from Možjanca where, following a lively Leni Burger (Germany), a quintet forms at the head of the race comprising Azzurra Ballan (Italy), Morgane Lestrade (France), Naxara Odriozola (Spain), Burger and Klara Dworatzek (Germany). The five, proceeding in good agreement, cross the finish line for the first time with over a minute's advantage over the peloton which, at the start of the second climb at Možjanca, is traveling with a delay of 2'20".

On the steep Slovenian climb, while behind the Dutch Jade Zijlstra tries alone to close the gap, four remain in front because Odriozola cannot keep up with the pace imposed by the German duo. With a margin still greater than two minutes over the peloton, the new leading quartet pedals cohesively both on the false flat section before the fixed feed station of Stefania Gora and in the descent towards Dvorje, an attitude that gives them, at the start of the final lap, 1'34" over the Odriozola-Zijlstra pair and 2'35" over the group.

With gaps remaining virtually unchanged, we therefore arrive to face the Možjanca climb for the last time where, on one hand, the group of favorites narrows down to include only the world champion Neira (Spain), Giorgia Pellizotti (Italy), Anja Grossmann (Switzerland), Thais Poirier (France), Mirthe Mons and Zijlstra (Netherlands), on the other hand Lestrade attempts with Ballan to drop the German pair without success. Back together, the four in front tackle the false flat and descent without hesitation, managing to maintain a good margin over the pursuers who, with 1'20" to make up 6 km from the finish, are thus definitively cut off. A tight four-way sprint decides medals and the European title, rewarding a fantastic Ballan ahead of Lestrade and Dworatzek.

Thanks to the daughter of Alessandro (born just days before his world championship victory in Varese 2008 which remains to this day the last Italian victory among the pros), Italy therefore breaks through in the continental championship medal count celebrating what is the ninth gold at European level in the junior women category, the first since the one won in 2020 by Eleonora Gasparrini.

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Updates to follow.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Ballan Azzurra (Italy) 1:52:38

2. Lestrade Morgane (France) s.t.

3. Dworatzek Klara (Germany) s.t.

4. Burger Leni (Germany) 0:05

5. Bianchi Elisa (Italy) 1:34

6. Drhová Eva (Czech Republic) 1:34

7. Neira Alejandra (Spain) 1:34

8. Hajduková Karolina (Germany) 1:34

9. Bieberle Edda (Slovakia) 1:34

10. Jakob Amandine (Germany) 1:34

11. Rossignoli Matilde (Italy) 1:34

12. Lopes Elena (Luxembourg) 1:34

13. Špicařová Karolina (Czech Republic) 1:34

14. Mons Mirthe (Netherlands) 1:34

15. Fivé Laura (Belgium) 1:34

16. Poirier Thaïs (France) 1:34

17. Pellizotti Giorgia (Italy) 1:34

18. Bartošiková Lujza (Slovakia) 1:34

19. Orsi Alessia (Switzerland) 1:34

20. Grossmann Anja (Italy) 1:34

21. Martinet Noémie (France) 1:34

22. Jiroutková Michaela (Czech Republic) 1:34

23. Galovicova Emma (Slovakia) 1:34

24. Jurado Roumieux Noemie (France) 1:34

25. Zijlstra Jade (Netherlands) 1:34

26. Andersson Greta (Sweden) 1:34

27. Plattner Jael (Switzerland) 1:34

28. Mikutytė Augustė (Lithuania) 1:34

29. Herzog Marie (France) 1:34

30. Marthe Elia (Switzerland) 3:51

31. Späth Charlotte (Germany) 3:51

32. Gutierrez Aitana (Spain) 4:53

33. Trattner Carolina (Austria) 4:53

34. Szymańska Amelia (Poland) 4:53

35. Reijn Evie (Netherlands) 5:12

36. Elizalde Lucie (France) 5:14

37. Wember Marie (Germany) 5:15

38. Němcová Natálie (Czech Republic) 5:15

39. Exenberger Renée (Austria) 5:15

40. Słomka Kinga (Poland) 5:15

41. Jeromel Hana (Slovenia) 5:15

42. Mehle Lina (Slovenia) 5:15

43. Mahy Manon (Belgium) 5:15

44. Audinytė Augustė (Lithuania) 5:15

45. Benedek Virág (Hungary) 5:15

46. Rousseaux Valentine (Switzerland) 5:15

47. Takken Maxime (Netherlands) 5:15

48. de Jong Loïs (Netherlands) 5:15

49. Jiménez Lluna (Spain) 5:15

50. Paduchová Klára (Slovakia) 5:15

51. Odriozola Naxara (Spain) 5:19

52. Weber Lau Luna-Marie (Denmark) 7:51

53. Pośpiech Julia (Poland) 7:51

54. Skujina Kate Ketrina (Latvia) 7:51

55. Nothum June (Luxembourg) 7:51

56. Torrent Naia (Spain) 7:51

57. Halter Lou-Anne (Switzerland) 7:51