Everything about Silvia Persico

Who is Silvia Persico?

Silvia Persico, born July 25, 1997, is an Italian cyclist who excels in both road races and cyclocross. She rides for UAE Team ADQ and has established herself as a versatile rider with strong performances in classic one-day races and stage races. Persico is known for her climbing skills and explosive sprint, and achieved several top placings in major races. Her blend of strength and endurance makes her a rising star in international cycling.

Name: Silvia Persico
Date of birth: July 25, 1997
Birthplace: Alzano, Italy
Turned pro: 2017

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Silvia Persico in a race

Born July 25, 1997, in Alzano, Italy,Silvia Persico is one of the most versatile cyclists in the peloton today. Her talent in various disciplines and her specialty in the classics and sprints have made her one of Italy's emerging great riders. In 2020, her FTP was estimated at 227 watts - or 4.28W/Kg (a value that has certainly grown significantly in the meantime).

In Cyclocross, Persico rode for three years as an under-23 rider, mainly on an Italian calendar, but she also performed at the European and World Championships. In 2018-2019 - her third year - she rode to a 4th place finish at the under-23 Worlds in Bogense, a breakthrough result and the first non-Dutch rider. From 2019-2020 she climbed into the Elite ranks, and in 2021-2022 she rode a full season internationally for the first time. She became national champion, and with a great run of form late in the season she surprised by racing to a third-place finish at the World Championships in Fayetteville.

In 2017 , she turned pro at Valcar PBM - in her first season she achieved some results and made her debut in World Tour races. In 2018 , she almost grabbed the lead in the Tour of Chongming Island on the opening day and rode another full season while still a young rider under-23. In 2019 , she finished 4th in the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Femina. In 2020 , she struggled to get results after the Covid-19 pandemic.

In 2021 she showed talent in the Belgian classics, but it would be in 2022 that she finally broke through in the peloton. She finished 10th in Strade Bianche, 12th in the Tour of Drenthe, 8th in Trofeo Alfredo Binda, 9th in Gent-Wevelgem and 11th in the Tour of Flanders. Just after the spring classics, she picked up her first pro victory in the Gran Premio della Liberazione.

She then finished 3rd in the Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs, 7th in the Vuelta a Burgos and the RideLondon Classique and won the Memorial Monica Bandini. In the Giro d'Italia that followed, she rode to 7th place and came close to winning twice. In the Tour de France Femmes, she continued her incredibly consistent run, nearing a big win and riding to 5th overall.

Persico then finished third in the Konvert Kortrijk Koerse and the MerXem Classic, second in the Kreiz Breizh Elites Féminin and in the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta she broke through by winning the 4th stage to Segovia. She won the points classification of the race and finished 12th overall. Persico was then a favorite for the World Championships and came through the climbs in the race. Her sprint made her a contender for the rainbow jersey and she finished third, sprinting alone behind Lotte Kopecky to capture a bronze medal. She signed a three-year contract with UAE Team ADQ that will begin in 2023.

In her cyclocross season, she became Italian national champion and won several races in Italy. Internationally, she was very consistent with sixth place as her worst result despite the competitive calendar. She prepared for the world championships and finished fourth at the Val di Sole and Benidorm World Cups before finishing fourth at the world championships. She started her season on the road strong with a podium finish at the UAE Tour. She won the Brabantse Pijl in the spring, her only one of the season. Persico was eighth at the Giro Donne, 14th at the Tour de France Femmes, 12th at the World Championships and fifth at the Tour de Romandie Féminin and European Championships.

In 2024 she couldn't replicate her success of previous years on the road, settling for a few Top10's in races such as the Tour of Flanders, Trofeo Alfredo Binda and a few smaller races. her only win of the year was at the GP du Morbihan.