The Italian National Road Race Championships ended with a real surprise, as the stars of the top teams were left behind and the victory was snatched by amateur Filippo Conca, who races for Swatt Club. In the final sprint, he beat Giro d'Italia stage winner Alessandro Covi (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) and Thomas Pesenti (Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team).
In reality, Conca is no pushover – he has previously raced for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team and Lotto Soudal, but the 26-year-old did not secure a professional contract for this season. At the end of last year, he gave an interview to his home country's media, discussing his situation: "Many professionals found themselves without contracts, very few returned to the sport. Most of us are working now, I run a B&B in Lecco, got a boat captain's license to organize boat trips, and I want to open a bike rental shop." Conca also continued his university studies, eventually earning a degree in economics.
Meanwhile, Conca continued to train diligently, partly in high altitudes, focusing on one race where he knew he could get maximum attention. During this long preparation, there were also memorable setbacks – for example, when descending from the Livigno ski resort, he hit a marmot, fell hard, and had to be away from training for a week.
"I trained so hard. It was like preparing for a marathon," Conca said. "I didn't give up, and after a week's break, I started preparing purposefully again. I'm really happy. Happy that I won, but perhaps even more so that I had the mental strength not to give up during those months," Conca stated.
As for the hopes of reviving his professional career, after being told by Q36.5 last year that there was no longer a place for him, there was little left to do but hope.
"I searched for a team for a long time, but nothing materialized. This was a unique opportunity, and I'm glad I could seize it. I came here with the goal of achieving a high place, even if my chances were very limited. But it happened," Conca beamed.
It seems like a fairy tale, the story of Filippo Conca, the twenty-six-year-old who surprisingly became the Italian road cycling champion, showing up with an amateur team and no sponsor.pic.twitter.com/jLefZTYlb1
— Tg3 (@Tg3web) June 30, 2025
#Gortiza2025 🇮🇹 / The moment the modest Swatt Club team realizes 🇮🇹 Filippo Conca has won the national title 😅 pic.twitter.com/UK1xQO2MsL
— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) June 29, 2025
Imagine being from an amateur team and becoming the champion of Italy 🇮🇹, beating Ganna or Covi 🤯🤯 Great Filippo Conca pic.twitter.com/fNQKHjDk60
— Ciclismo en Grande (@ciclismoengrand) June 30, 2025
