The local athlete left no room for rivals and repeated her success from last year, extending her lead in the overall standings of Internazionali d’Italia Series. Giada Specia finished second, with Estonian Loiv in third. Valentina Corvi the fastest in the UCI Junior Series
She was the clear favorite, but winning as the favorite is never easy, especially at home in front of your own fans. However, Martina Berta certainly showed no signs of pressure in La Thuile, claiming victory in the fourth stage of the Internazionali d’Italia Series with a flawless performance throughout the six laps of the race.
The athlete from Team Santa Cruz-Rockshox had Giada Specia (Wilier-Pirelli) on her wheel only during the first lap. From then on, it was a solo effort, with her lead growing with each lap until she crossed the finish line with a comfortable margin of one minute and 45 seconds ahead of Specia. Powerful on the climbs and effective on the technical descents of La Thuile, the Italian rider found a course that highlighted her strengths, supported by excellent condition.
“I’m thrilled to have secured back-to-back victories in my home race. It always has a special flavor,” Berta stated. “I didn’t expect to ride alone for so long, but it was the best-case scenario for me. I struggled a bit in the first two laps, but then I realized I could create a gap with Giada, so I pushed the pace. From the halfway point, I felt better and could manage the race until the finish line. A few days of rest after the World Cup did me good, and this success is the ideal motivation to dive into an important and intense month.”
Specia’s second-place position was never in doubt, while Chiara Teocchi (KTM-Protek-Elettrosystem) held the third position for a long time but dropped back as Estonian rider Janika Loiv (KMC MTB Racing Team) made a strong comeback and eventually claimed the third step of the podium, finishing 2 minutes and 17 seconds behind Berta.
New Zealand’s Samara Jackson finished in fourth place ahead of Chiara Teocchi, while Esanatoglia winner Sofie Heby Pedersen (Wilier-Pirelli) had to settle for sixth place. Her result allows her to consolidate her leadership among the Under 23 category, while dropping further down from Martina Berta in the battle for the Women’s Open classification jersey.
With 280 points, Berta now commands the standings with a 60-point lead over Giada Specia and a 90-point advantage over Pedersen with only one race remaining in Alpago.
Italy also celebrated success in the women’s UCI Junior Series, with Valentina Corvi (Trinx Factory Racing) securing a dominant victory after four laps of racing. German rider Carla Hahn finished in second place (+27 seconds), and Elisa Lanfranchi (KTM-Protek-Elettrosystem), the leader in the Internazionali d’Italia Series junior category, claimed the third position, 55 seconds behind the winner.
