Twenty-one Italian athletes arrived for the European Cyclocross Championships in Zeddam, Netherlands, facing a division that split the national team into two distinct tiers before the racing even began, CiclismoWeb reported. While 11 junior riders had their travel and accommodation fully covered by the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI), the remaining 10 members of the delegation were designated as “convocati sul posto”—meaning called up on-site—and forced to cover their own expenses.
The split directly affected several of Italy’s most prominent elite and under-23 competitors. Riders including Gioele Bertolini, Sara Casasola, Lucia Bramati, Filippo Grigolini, Rebecca Gariboldi, Stefano Viezzi, and Giorgia Pellizotti found themselves paying out of pocket for transport and lodging despite representing the national team. In some instances, support staff traveling with the self-funded group arrived without proper accreditation passes for the race venue, according to the initial reports.
Federation Budget Tightening and the on-Site Cost Burden
The unprecedented arrangement stems from a decision by the FCI federal council to enforce strict spending reviews on national team travel. National team coach Daniele Pontoni informed the affected athletes of the cost-sharing requirement prior to official roster announcements. The federation defended the policy as a pre-arranged measure. Corriere della Sera reported that FCI President Cordiano Dagnoni stated the 21 riders were selected strictly on technical merit, and that the on-site calling method was agreed upon with sports clubs at the start of the year. Dagnoni added that youth categories remained fully federation-funded and noted that similar cost-sharing practices exist within other sports federations.
Cycling observers noted that while the federation’s core mission—funded through public grants from Sport e Salute—is to promote the sport and support national teams, the financial burden for continental cross events fell onto athletes and their private clubs.
🎥🌳 101 trees. One iconic location! At the top of Zeddam’s legendary staircase, a new chapter of the #UECforest has begun! Planted during #EuroCross26, Tree no. 101 now stands at one of the most recognisable spots on the course#cyclocross #zeddam #cycling pic.twitter.com/IGwCYLp4X9
Opening Results on the Zeddam Course
Despite the administrative controversy, Italian competitors took to the Dutch circuit for the opening blocks of racing on November 7, 2026. As documented in race reports published by the Italian Cycling Federation, Filippo Grigolini delivered a strong performance in the under-23 men’s category, finishing fourth after contesting a four-man sprint for the podium. France’s Aubin Sparfel claimed the U23 European title in 46 minutes and 58 seconds, leading a group that included Belgian silver and bronze medalists Giel Lejeune and Viktor Vandenberghe. Stefano Viezzi secured fifth place, finishing five seconds back after setting the fastest lap time midway through the race.
In the elite women’s division, Lucinda Brand of the Netherlands out sprinted Luxembourg’s Marie Schreiber to capture the continental jersey, while Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado finished third. Lucia Bramati was the highest-placed Italian in the elite women’s race, taking 10th place at one minute and 20 seconds behind the winner after accelerating through the final laps. Sara Casasola raced in the leading group through the first five laps before slipping back to 14th place, and Carlotta Borello finished 15th ahead of Rebecca Gariboldi in 18th. In the junior women’s race, Lentel Huys of Belgium won in 39 minutes and 47 seconds, ahead of silver medalist Shana Huber of Switzerland at nine seconds and bronze medalist Nynke Jochems of the Netherlands at 17 seconds. Nicole Righetto finished ninth at one minute and one second, while her fellow Italian teammates finished further back: Rachele Cafueri was 22nd at two minutes and 34 seconds, Azzurra Rizzi took 32nd at three minutes and 22 seconds, Nicoletta Brandi placed 36th at three minutes and 31 seconds, and Matilde Carretta finished 41st at four minutes and 15 seconds.
