Everything about... Silvia Persico - Italy newest classics and climbing specialist

Silvia Persico is a professional cyclist who races for Valcar - Travel & Service. She is an Italian pro female rider who specializes at both road racing and cyclocross, having gotten a bronze medal in both latest World Championships. She's won a stage and the points classification at the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta and is one of the most regular riders in the current peloton. You can check out the biography at all times by clicking here.

Name: Silvia Persico

Born: 25 July 1997

Birthplace: Alzano, Italy

Turned Pro: 2017

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Silvia Persico was born on the 25th July 1997 in Alzano, Italy, and is one of the most versatile cyclists in the current peloton. Her talent over different disciplines and speciality in the classics and sprints have seen her become one of Italy's upcoming big riders. In 2020 her FTP was said to be of 227 watts - or 4.28W/Kg (a value that has certainly grown substantially in the meantime).

In Cyclocross, Persico spent three years as an under-23 rider, riding a mostly Italian calendar, but performing aswell at the European and World Championships. In 2018-2019 - her third year - she rode into a 4th position at the under-23 Worlds in Bogense, a breakthrough result and the first non-Dutch rider. From 2019-2020 onwards 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 racing into a third place at the Fayetteville World Championships.

As for the road she turned pro in 2017 with Valcar PBM - in her first season she had some results and made her debut in World Tour racing. In 2018 she almost grabbed the lead at the Tour of Chongming Island on the opening day, and raced another full season whilst still being a young under-23 rider. In 2019 she raced to 4th at the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana Femina. In 2020 she struggled to get results following the Covid-19 pandemic break.

In 2021 she shown talent in the Belgian classics, however it would be in 2022 that she finally broke through in the peloton. She finished 10th at Strade Bianche, 12th at the Ronde van Drenthe, 8th at Trofeo Alfredo Binda, 9th at Gent-Wevelgem and 11th at the Tour des Flandres. Right after the spring classics she took her first pro win at the Gran Premio della Liberazione.

She then rode into 3rd place at the Ceratizit Festival Elsy Jacobs, 7th at the Vuelta a Burgos and the RideLondon Classique, and won the Memorial Monica Bandini. At the Giro d'Italia which followed, she rode into 7th place, coming close to wins on two occasions. At the Tour de France Femmes she has continued her incredibly consistent run, nearing a big win, and riding into 5th place in the overall classification.

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