“I’m retiring at the top — this really is the perfect ending”: Elia Viviani takes emotional Track World Championships gold in final race of his illustrious career

Elia Viviani’s farewell to cycling was pure theatre — one final surge, one last rainbow jersey, and a golden goodbye worthy of his glittering career. In Santiago, the 36-year-old Italian didn’t just win the men’s elimination race at the Track World Championships; he sealed a storybook ending that few athletes ever get to write.

The image of Viviani crossing his arms in triumph, signalling that his journey had reached its final chapter, instantly joined the sport’s most iconic farewells. The veteran had promised himself one more medal before hanging up his wheels — and delivered it in the most emphatic way possible.

“Last year, when I was still looking for a team in February, this is exactly what I meant,” Viviani explained afterwards in quotes collected by Bici.Pro. “I wanted to show I could still win on the road — and I did. Ending my career at a World Championships, wearing a rainbow jersey, is fantastic. I’m retiring at the top — that’s what I wanted and hoped for. So yes, this really is the perfect ending.”

Behind the scenes, Viviani had confessed to nerves he hadn’t felt in years. But once the racing began, the old instincts returned. Lap after lap he read the field perfectly, launching his decisive move with the timing that made him one of cycling’s great finishers. By the final sprint there was no contest — just a champion savouring his last metres on a world stage.

His Italian teammates roared from the trackside, many wearing tribute jerseys emblazoned The Last Dance. When Viviani crossed the line, the infield erupted: part celebration, part farewell to a figure who helped transform Italian track cycling. “My biggest pride is having helped build this movement with Marco Villa and everyone who’s worked behind the scenes,” he said. “I tell the young riders — believe in your dreams, aim high, work hard. That’s how you reach these moments. The girls have brought home Olympic golds, the men are progressing — the future looks bright.”

Viviani’s words carried the tone of a mentor who may not be leaving the velodrome entirely. Before travelling to Chile, he hinted that his next chapter could still be within the sport. But for now, he’s turning his attention to a long-overdue holiday with his wife, fellow pro Elena Cecchini — who flew out to witness his final race in person.

Italian coach Dino Salvoldi, who led the men’s squad through the Worlds, described Viviani’s victory as “the perfect close” to a campaign that exceeded expectations. “We couldn’t have asked for a better finale,” Salvoldi said. “Elia’s win was emotional, but it also showed his class. Even in our last race, the madison, we lined up two riders born in 2005 against world specialists — the aim was to learn, and they did. That’s how progress happens.”

After more than a decade of collecting medals across disciplines, Elia Viviani walks away as both champion and architect — a rider who didn’t just win for Italy, but helped reshape its entire track programme.

If this truly was his “Last Dance”, it ended — fittingly — to the sound of applause, gold around his neck, and the satisfaction of leaving the stage at precisely the right moment.