But this Sunday there was also a winning Italy: that of Valentina Corvi (Canyon CLLCTV) and Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory Racing), first and third respectively in the Under 23 race that opened the day: a result that is even more important considering that the winner from Valtellina was returning to racing after a serious injury in the first part of the season.
Source: press release
The first Italian joy also arrived on the last day of the WHOOP UCI Mountain Bike World Series in Val di Sole. Thanks to Valentina Crows, winner of the U23 women's race at the end of a race dominated from the first to the last lap.
Wearing the Italian Champion's jersey, the rider from Lombardy (Canyon CLLCTV), returning to competition after breaking her collarbone at the beginning of May, achieved her first victory in the World Cup, leaving the Swiss behind her. Fiona Schibler, spaced 30”, and another blue one, Sara Cortinovis (Ghost Factory), third at 52”.
Corvi and Cortinovis imposed a fast pace on the race from the first laps, with the Frenchwoman Olivia Onesti (BH Coloma) first pursuer. However, during the third lap, Valentina Corvi's pace proved hard to digest even for Sara Cortinovis, who began to lose ground pedal after pedal, while behind them the Swiss Schibler began a nice comeback.
During the fourth lap, with Valentina Corvi already flying towards the final success, Schibler began to gain ground on Cortinovis, until the final reunion took place in view of the final lap. The Swiss was able to get behind Sara Cortinovis in the last lap: no Italian double, therefore, but the emotions of a success that projects Valentina Corvi among the reference athletes also in view of the 2025 World Championships in Valais remain.
“I'm very happy” – Valentina Corvi declared. – “I was coming back from an injury and this victory in my home race came right away. It’s still morning but the crowd made themselves heard a lot and it was fundamental. Both Sara (Cortinovis) and I tried to push as hard as we could and make our fans excited. Val di Sole is unique: the crowd, the noise of the chainsaws, all things that you can only find here.”
“It's really special to have had such a beautiful race in Val di Sole, it's a shame to have lost second place, but I'm happy for Valentina: she deserved this success and it's wonderful to have given this audience a reason to rejoice”, comment by Sara Cortinovis.
The Canadian Ella MacPhee (Wilier-Vittoria), sixth today, maintained the lead in the general classification with 521 points, ahead of the Italians Cortinovis and Corvi who chase with 401 and 372 points respectively.
JUNIOR FEMALE RANKING
| 1. |  | CROWS Valentina (CANYON CLLCTV XCO) | 1:05:59 |
| 2. |  | SCHIBLER Fiona | 1:06:29 +30 |
| 3. | | CORTINOVIS Sara (GHOST FACTORY RACING) | 1:06:51 +52 |
| 4. |  | MACLEAN-HOWELL She (CUBE FACTORY RACING) | 1:07:33 + 1: 34 |
| 5. |  | LOPEZ DE SAN ROMAN Life | 1:07:50 + 1: 51 |
| 6. |  | MACPHEE She (WILIER-VITTORIA FACTORY TEAM) | 1:08:30 + 2: 31 |
| 7. | | HUTTER Anina | 1:08:57 + 2: 58 |
| 8. |  | HONEST Olivia (BH COLOMA TEAM) | 1:08:59 + 3: 00 |
| 9. |  | JACOBS Tyler (LIV FACTORY RACING) | 1:09:16 + 3: 17 |
| 10. | | LOWE Marin (LIV FACTORY RACING), | 1:09:16 + 3: 17 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
MEN'S U23 RANKING
| 1. |  | TEUNISSEN VAN MANEN Rens (KMC RIDLEY MTB RACING TEAM) | 1:18:53 |
| 2. | | TREUDLER Finn (CUBE FACTORY RACING) | 1:19:27 +34 |
| 3. |  | KRUGER Benjamin | 1:19:44 +51 |
| 4. | | SIDAHMED Khalid | 1:19:52 +59 |
| 5. | | SCHEHL Paul (LEXWARE MOUNTAINBIKE TEAM) | 1:19:57 + 1: 04 |
| 6. |  | HUDYMA Oleksandr (KMC RIDLEY MTB RACING TEAM) | 1:20:10 + 1: 17 |
| 7. |  | PEDERSEN Heby Gustav (WILIER-VITTORIA FACTORY TEAM) | 1:20:25 + 1: 32 |
| 8. | | SCHELLEKENS Tom (KMC RIDLEY MTB RACING TEAM) | 1:20:33 + 1: 40 |
| 9. | | HALTER Nicolas | 1:20:36 + 1: 43 |
| 10. |  | FRANCOIS BAUDRY Thibaut (CANYON CLLCTV XCO) | 1:20:43 + 1: 50 |
GENERAL WORLD CUP
