On Sunday 5 April, 35 teams – 15 Italian and 20 international – will arrive in Col San Martino (TV). There has been a significant improvement in the standard of participation compared with previous editions, with the development teams of the top WorldTour sides all set to take part.
Inside the 2026 Easter egg, AC Col San Martino will find the world’s finest U23 talents. This year, the Trofeo Piva, now in its 77th edition, will take place on Sunday 5 April and promises to be a real celebration, as it will feature a line-up of the very highest calibre – a marked improvement on recent seasons, which themselves brought to the fore a host of young players who have since turned professional.
The U23 category is going through a period of transition, marked by new developments and unwritten rules, so it is essential to adapt and understand how best to make the most of the race. One thing, however, is certain: the world’s top prospects ride for WorldTour development teams. And this year, the Trofeo Piva can count on a record number of satellite teams, set to set the race alight right from the very start.
Returning to Col San Martino after a few years’ absence are Visma | Lease a Bike Devo, Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies, Decathlon CMA CGM Devo and Hagens Berman Jayco, who will join the ever-present UAE Team Emirates GenZ, XDS Astana Devo and Bahrain Victorious Devo, as well as Tudor U23 and Equipo Finisher-Kern Pharma. In total, there will be 35 teams at the start, 20 foreign and 15 Italian, representing 17 different nations.
Among the Italian teams, 10 of the 13 Continental teams holding a licence will be present. The last two winning teams are absent due to the new regulation stipulating that Professional teams cannot compete in U23 races, namely Filippo Turconi’s Bardiani (winner in 2025) and Pavel Novak’s MBH Bank (winner in 2024), the last team on the start line to have won the Col San Martino classic will be Biesse-Carrera-Premac, who triumphed in 2023 with Giacomo Villa.
“With the race taking place on Easter Sunday, the organisational challenges naturally increase for various reasons,” explains Mario De Rosso, President of AC Col San Martino. “However, we are delighted that our efforts, along with those of the sponsors, the local authorities and the volunteers, have been rewarded with a truly prestigious line-up of participants. The 2026 edition will be one of the strongest in terms of talent and the field of riders. And we can’t help but be proud of this: the roll of honour is sure to be enriched by another important name.”
SQUADRE TROFEO PIVA 2026
Italian:
SC Padovani Polo Cherry Bank, UC Trevigiani Energia Pura Marchiol, G.C. Sissio Team, Solme – Olmo, General Store – Essegibi – F.lli Curia, Campana Imballaggi – Morbiato – Trentino, Trentino Cycling Team U23, Veneto Project Team, Gallina – Lucchini – Ecotek, Biesse – Carrera – Premac, Vega – Vitalcare – Dynatek, Team Hopplà, Gragnano Sporting Club, Mg.K Vis Costruzioni e Ambiente, Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna Caffè Borbone.
International:
Hagens Berman Jayco (Australia), Tirol KTM Cycling Team (Austria), Bahrain Victorious Development Team (Bahrain), DL Chemicals – Experza Cycling Team (Belgio), Team Cranks (Danimarca), Decathlon CMA-CGM Development Team (Francia), AVC Aix Provence Dole (Francia), Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe Rookies (Germania), REMBE Rad-net (Germania), XDS Astana Development Team (Kazakistan), Petrolike (Messico), UC Monaco (Monaco), Pogi Team Gusto Ljubljana (Slovenia), Factor Racing – FRT (Slovenia), Equipo Finisher – Kern Pharma (Spagna), Tudor Pro Cycling Team U23 (Svizzera), Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development (Paesi Bassi), Volharding Cycling Team (Paesi Bassi), UAE Team Emirates GenZ (Emirati Arabi Uniti), Team Skyline (USA).