As the curtain falls on the Track World Championships in Pruszkow, Poland, all eyes are now turning to Tokyo 2020.
Italy ended the competition ladened with medals, in the knowledge that the Olympics are drawing ever closer. The World Championships ended with a number of important successes for Italy's riders, boosting the reputation of the national team.
Filippo Ganna made history. A third gold medal at the age of just 22. Following London in 2016 and Apeldoorn in 2018, Ganna made it a hat trick of golds to confirm he is the king of individual pursuit. Before him, on the track in Poland, came Davide Plebani, also only 22, who, in the final, rode the race of his life to win bronze. And it was precisely Davide's third place that was to reward Italy with the first of their medals in these championships. Astunning performance, by Letizia Paternoster, saw her rewarded with a silver in the Omnium. Born in 1999 Letizia is the future of cycling, and this is her first medal racing against the big names in the elite category.
