“I could ride in support of our captain at the Giro, but I'd also like to chase a stage win” — Italian national champion sets clear goals for 2026

2025 was an unforgettable season for Filippo Conca with no doubt. His victory in the Italian National Championships, achieved with the amateur Swatt Club, surprised many and opened the door back to the WorldTour, where he is now riding for Team Jayco AlUla.

The 27-year-old already made it to the World Tour back in 2021, when he secured a contract with Lotto Soudal. After two years, he went a step down to the ProTeam category, signing for Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team. His contract was not renewed for the 2025 season, so he was forced to temporarily abandon the professional category, signing for the modest Swatt Club. That situation only lasted a few months however, as Jayco AlUla signed him in August.

In an interview he gave to tuttobiciweb at the Tour de France EFGH Singapore Criterium, Conca acknowledged that the challenge ahead is as much mental as physical. Looking back at the latter part of his 2025 season, Conca recalled both satisfaction and frustration after riding 12 days with his new team.

“In Jayco I felt very good; the atmosphere is really nice,” he said. “I would have liked to show something right away and start strong, but after catching Covid following my second race, I couldn’t be as competitive as usual or reach my normal level.”

Despite the setback, the 27-year-old still managed to prove his reliability. “Even so, I was able to be useful, working at the Tour of Slovakia, where I pulled a lot at the front to keep my teammates ahead and we won the general classification with [Paul] Double. I also helped in other races to position our leaders as best as possible. It’s a pity I couldn’t do more, because it was a good opportunity to start this adventure in the best way and maybe ride for myself sometimes. But I have time next year to make up for it.”

Health and continuity, he emphasized, remain his key priorities. “The most important thing in 2026 will be to work consistently without those setbacks and health problems that have plagued my career so far.”

Conca also outlined his preliminary race program for 2026, which will begin with early-season races in Spain. “I should start in Spain, although we haven’t yet defined exactly where, and try to have good form right away to perform well in the first part of the season until the end of March,” he explained. “Then, since I suffer from allergies and asthma later in the spring, the idea is to take a short break and train at altitude to arrive at 100 percent for the Giro d’Italia.”

At the Giro, Conca hopes he will have freedom to fight for a stage win, although he knows his main task will be to support his leader. “I could ride in support of our captain — I don’t know yet if it will be O’Connor or someone else — but I’d also like to chase a stage win if the opportunity arises.”