Chiara Consonni will remain with Canyon SRAM for another two seasons after agreeing a contract extension through to the end of 2028.
The 27-year-old Italian joined Canyon SRAM ahead of the 2025 season following four years with UAE Team ADQ and has quickly established herself as the team’s leading pure sprint option. Her renewal comes at an ideal moment, just a day after Consonni won the revived Philadelphia Cycling Classic in a photo finish.
That was Consonni’s second victory of 2026 and another demonstration that she can offer considerably more than a straightforward bunch sprint. She survived the repeated Manayunk Wall climbs, featured in the attacking late racing and still had enough speed to beat Alexandra Volstad at the line.
“I decided to extend my contract with Canyon SRAM because I think I’ve given them 100% of myself, and I believe we can still improve a lot as a team,” Consonni said.
“And the most important thing, because I find people that really believe in me and I want to give them something back.”
Photo Credit: GettyConsonni has found her place at Canyon SRAM
Changing teams after several seasons in the UAE structure represented a significant adjustment for Consonni when she moved at the beginning of 2025.
Two seasons later, she believes the relationships within Canyon SRAM have developed into one of the main reasons for committing her future to the team.
“For me, two years ago, it was really hard to change everything, but I feel like many aspects have improved race by race, especially the relationships and the feeling between the girls,” she said.
“I think that if we are a group that really wants to achieve something, we can keep improving, come to the start with the mentality of winning, and then we can do it.”
Her sporting contribution has been increasingly clear.
Consonni combines the positioning and acceleration expected of a top sprinter with enough resilience to remain competitive when races become significantly harder. Philadelphia provided the latest example, with the Manayunk Wall repeatedly reducing and reshaping the race before the Italian still delivered the fastest finish.
Her 2025 season included a particularly successful spell in Poland. Consonni ended a 400-day victory drought by winning the opening stage of the Tour de Pologne Women before winning again on the final day and securing the overall classification.
Across her first two seasons with Canyon SRAM she has accumulated nine Women’s WorldTour podiums, including two at the Giro d’Italia Women, while her victories in 2026 have come at the Vuelta a Extremadura and Philadelphia Cycling Classic.
Niewiadoma-Phinney’s Ventoux win stands above her own victories
Consonni’s favourite Canyon SRAM memory, however, is not one of her own wins.
She instead pointed to Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney’s victory on Mont Ventoux at the 2026 Tour de France Femmes, when the Polish rider attacked clear of Demi Vollering and Marlen Reusser to win the stage and take the yellow jersey.
“My favourite moment that I shared with the team was when Kasia won on Mont Ventoux at the Tour,” Consonni said.
Consonni spent much of the Tour working for Canyon SRAM’s wider objectives rather than having the freedom to pursue her own sprint opportunities. It gave her a different perspective on what constitutes a successful contribution during a Grand Tour.
“I learned to never give up. I mean, everything can happen, but never give up,” she said.
“And also, even your smallest contribution can help towards a final result. The little things that everyone does can add up and help a lot towards the big goals.”
Niewiadoma-Phinney ultimately lost yellow later in the race as Demi Vollering completed her comeback to win the Tour, but Canyon SRAM’s Ventoux success was one of the defining moments of a constantly changing 2026 race.
For Consonni, it also highlighted why her role cannot be assessed purely through her own results.
“I think I bring belief and motivation to the team,” she said. “I’m a person who can push others maybe a little bit more, but then I also like to show the others that I trust them, and that they can trust me too.
“And then, off the bike… maybe some funny things! Only this, because I’m worse at everything else. I’m always late…”
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Photo Credit: Getty
Canyon SRAM wants to build a stronger lead-out
The extension gives Canyon SRAM another two seasons to develop one area in particular around Consonni: her sprint lead-out.
Team Director of Sport Rolf Aldag believes the Italian already possesses the speed required to win at the highest level but sees scope for the team to deliver her into decisive positions more consistently.
“Chiara has a great spirit, brings an extra laugh, and always boosts morale,” Aldag said. “She’s a committed team-mate, and always has a really good chance to compete for victories in the sprints.
“She represents why we all got involved in cycling, being competitive while having fun!
“We can unlock more from Chiara if we give her more support, and grow her confidence. Key topic: strengthening the lead-out!”
That is a particularly relevant area for Canyon SRAM to target.
Women’s sprinting has become increasingly organised, with the strongest teams able to control the final kilometres rather than asking their sprinters to continually recover positions independently. Consonni’s instinct for finding wheels and navigating chaotic finales is already one of her strengths, but a more reliable lead-out could reduce how often she has to use those qualities simply to reach the ideal position.
Philadelphia showed both sides of that equation. Canyon SRAM raced aggressively before the sprint and Consonni was able to finish the job, but Aldag clearly believes there is another level available if the structure around her becomes stronger.
Trust is Consonni’s priority for the next two years
For all the emphasis on victories, Consonni is reluctant to identify one race she must win before her new contract expires.
Her target is instead to create enough trust within Canyon SRAM that teammates are prepared to fully commit to her opportunities, just as she has been prepared to work for others.
“I don’t want to try and achieve one particular race result, but I want to try to earn the trust of the girls,” she said.
“I know that I need to give them a lot for them to also give me a lot.
“Also, I’m just excited to race and to stay with the same people, because now I feel like I’ve found a really nice group and I know everyone much better than I did two years ago.”
Consonni will now remain part of that group through at least 2028. Canyon SRAM retains one of the fastest finishers in the women’s peloton, while Consonni gets the continuity and support structure she believes can take both herself and the team’s sprint programme further.
