The debut of the UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup a La Thuile - Aosta Valley It would have been hard to write a better ending. The first race in the history of the discipline in the Aosta Valley resort turned into an extraordinary day for the Italian team, with the home team winning. Martina Bertha in the women's Elite race and the success of Valentina Crows among the Under 23s.
For Martina Berta, it's much more than a victory. The champion from the Aosta Valley, who grew up in these mountains and lives just a few kilometers from La Thuile, conquers the title in front of her home crowd. first victory of an Italian athlete in an XCO World Cup race held in ItalyA result destined to go down in the history of the Italian movement and which takes on an even more special meaning because it comes on the very day of the debut of the Cross Country in La Thuile.
The bond between Martina Berta and La Thuile dates back well before this World Cup. She trained on these trails, grew as an athlete, and gained much of her experience. Here, in 2016, as a junior, she achieved one of the first major international victories of her career, winning a stage of the then Enduro World Series.
In the days leading up to the race, she said she personally knew many of the marshals along the route, friends with whom she'd shared a passion for mountain biking for years. A detail that speaks to the deep connection between this victory and the region where she grew up.
The blue party was completed by the splendid performance of Valentina Crows, dominating the Under-23 race and among the most promising talents on the international scene. The two Italian victories highlighted a day that will go down in the history of Italian cross-country and La Thuile's debut on the world's premier circuit.
The debut of the Cross Country also represented the international baptism of the new XCO course, strongly desired by the locality and designed by Henry Martel, Martina Berta's head coach. A route that embodies the most authentic identity of alpine mountain biking: challenging climbs, rock gardens, technical descents, and constant changes of pace immersed in the woods. A physical and selective course, capable of highlighting the athletes' full potential and offering spectators a continuous spectacle at numerous points along the route.
The impressions gathered in the paddock throughout the weekend confirmed the success of the debut. The new course stood out for its technical and natural character, offering a cross-country style deeply rooted in the local area and consistent with the identity of La Thuile, which has always been synonymous with mountain biking.
On a sporting level, the day provided excitement right up until the last lap. Among the Elite Women, Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) he achieved the first victory of his career in a race UCI Cross-country Olympic World Cup, resisting the American's comeback in the final Savilia Blunk and crossing the finish line amidst the applause of the home crowd. A historic success that makes Berta the first Italian athlete to win an XCO Elite World Cup race held in Italy.
Visibly moved at the end of the race, the Aosta Valley native declared: I've been dreaming of this day since the calendar came out. When I saw La Thuile, I told my coach I wanted to win here. There's a long road between dreaming and achieving it. It's incredible. I was really struggling on the final lap, but I couldn't disappoint everyone who came here to support me.
Among the men, the French Luca Martin (Cannondale Factory Racing) He took his second consecutive victory in the XCO World Cup, taking the lead in the second half of the race after a mistake by his main rivals. At the end he praised the La Thuile track, calling it "a real mountain bike trail, with technical and dusty descents", underlining how the characteristics of the Alpine terrain made the race particularly selective.
The day was once again tinged with blue thanks to the test Under 23 women, dominated by Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV XCO)The Italian took the lead from the first lap, winning by more than two minutes and taking her fourth World Cup victory of the season, thus consolidating her lead in the overall standings. I knew I was in good shape, and I tried to make the most of the course. It's a really demanding course, with tough climbs and very technical descents. Winning both races here in Italy, in front of my home crowd, makes it all the more special., he commented at the end of the test.
With the Olympic Cross Country, a series of historic first edition with four disciplines of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series a La Thuile - Aosta ValleyFor four days the location hosted Downhill, Enduro, Cross Country Olympic and Cross Country Short Track in a single logistics center, transforming the country into the heart of world mountain biking and confirming its ability to interpret, with the same authenticity, all the souls of this sport.
MEN'S ELITE RANKING
| 1. |  | MARTIN Luke (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 1:24:36 |
| 2. | | AZZARO Mathis (ORIGINE RACING DIVISION) | 1:25:43 + 1: 07 |
| 3. | | BOICHIS Adrien (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 1:25:56 + 1: 20 |
| 4. |  | RILEY Bjorn (SCOTT-SRAM MTB RACING TEAM) | 1:26:32 + 1: 56 |
| 5. | | AMOS Riley (TREK – UNBROKEN XC) | 1:26:50 + 2: 14 |
| 6. |  | AVONDETTO Simone (WILIER-VITTORIA FACTORY TEAM) | 1:27:20 + 2: 44 |
| 7. |  | SCHWARZBAUER Luke (CANYON XC RACING) | 1:27:28 + 2: 52 |
| 8. |  | ALDRIDGE Charlie (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 1:27:28 + 2: 52 |
| 9. | | BRAIDOT Luke (WILIER-VITTORIA FACTORY TEAM) | 1:28:21 + 3: 45 |
| 10. | | ZANOTTI Yuri (WILIER-VITTORIA FACTORY TEAM) | 1:28:25 + 3: 49 |
FEMALE ELITE RANKING
| 1. | | BERTHA Martina (ORIGINE RACING DIVISION) | 1:31:04 |
| 2. | | BLUNK Savilia (DECATHLON FORD RACING TEAM) | 1:31:16 + 12 |
| 3. |  | STIGGER Laura (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 1:31:59 + 55 |
| 4. |  | Risveds Jenny (CANYON XC RACING) | 1:32:38 + 1: 34 |
| 5. |  | BLÖCHLINGER Ronja (LIV FACTORY RACING) | 1:33:09 + 2: 05 |
| 6. | | FREI Sina (SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACING) | 1:33:55 + 2: 51 |
| 7. | | RICHARDS Evie (TREK – UNBROKEN XC) | 1:34:20 + 3: 16 |
| 8. | | KELLER Alexandra (THOMUS MAXON) | 1:34:49 + 3: 45 |
| 9. | | KOLLER Nicole (LAPIERRE PXR RACING) | 1:35:11 + 4: 07 |
| 10. | | NEFF Jolanda (CANNONDALE FACTORY RACING) | 1:35:23 + 4: 19 |
