They are the Aosta Valley elite Martina Bertha (Santa Cruz – RockShox Pro Team), the under 23 from Bergamo Sara Cortinovis (Santa Cruz – RockShox Pro Team) and the junior from Leffe (BG) Elisa Lanfranchi (Ktm Protek Elettrosystem) the new Italian mtb champions.
Source: FCI press release
The three athletes were crowned at the end of elimination trials on a track like that of Maser, made incredibly technical by the rain not only that fell during the night but also during the last lap of the elites, with a storm that made the trial organized by the Mountain Bike Club Gaernem even more stoic
Three elites, Martina Bertha immediately made the void, leaving the excellent Greta Seiwald, a Giada Specia and the eternal Eva Lechner the fight for the other two positions on the podium. Silver taken with authority by Seiwald, who returns to the podium of cross country Olympic leaving behind the difficult moments of the past seasons; silver medal for Specia from Belluno, with Eva Lechner coming back but forced to settle for the wooden medal.
ELITE WOMEN RANKING
UNDER 23
Predictions also confirmed among the Under 23s, with Sara Cortinovis, born in 2003, who conquers the second Italian title in his career after that of Bielmonte 2021 (when he was a junior). The Bergamo rider managed the tenacious Nicole Pesse in the first lap, who stuck to her wheel, to then leave and manage the situation in the final. Final which also exalted the qualities of Lucia Bramati (Trinx Factory Team), able to emerge in the second part of the race and finish second, overtaking Pesse from the Aosta Valley.
U23 WOMEN RANKING
But the surprises came in the junior women's trials. The European champion Valentina Corvi, after a couple of crashes and some mechanical problems, raised the white flag; it was the very young who took advantage of it Elisa Lanfranchi, who immediately took the lead, not leaving it until the finish line and thus celebrating the first tricolor jersey of her career, she who in 2022 had been European vice champion in the specialty. Behind her, Giulia Rinaldoni also had problems, so the silver medal ended up around the neck of Giada Martinoli from Varese, thus legitimizing the call-up to the recent European championships in Anadia. Third place for Marika Celestino.
JUNIOR WOMEN RANKING
