RIDING HIGH: WILIER-VITTORIA DELIVERS A WINNING WEEKEND BEFORE

The Courmayeur MTB Event delivered encouraging signs for the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team ahead of next weekend’s World Cup round in Nove Mesto. On Saturday, European champion Simone Avondetto claimed a convincing victory in the men’s open race, finishing ahead of teammate Juri Zanotti. On the women’s side, Ella MacPhee took 4th place overall while topping the U23 classification.

Avondetto set the pace right from the opening lap, quickly establishing himself as the strongest rider in the field. Zanotti stayed composed on his wheel, and once his teammate had opened up a solid gap, he launched his own move to secure a strong second place, 42 seconds behind Avondetto.

“It was a fantastic weekend, not least because the weather was beautiful — racing in these conditions is such a pleasure,” said the European champion. “Beyond the win, I’m really happy with how I felt throughout the race. After the opening World Cup rounds in Brazil, we put in a big training block to be ready for these two weeks. Now I’m really looking forward to testing myself in Nove Mesto.”

MacPhee arrived in Courmayeur just hours after flying back from Canada and raced with a heavy dose of jet lag. Her 4th place finish may not reflect her full potential, but her eyes are firmly set on next weekend.

Slovenia and Denmark

On Sunday, it was Luca Braidot’s turn to shine. He took victory at the Kamnik XCO in Slovenia, outsprinting fellow Italian Nadir Colledani in the final stretch.

“We knew it would come down to the two of us, and we made the difference right from the start,” Braidot explained. “We worked well together, and I managed to make the decisive move on the last lap, gaining four or five meters on the descent — just enough to reach the line. I’m happy with how the legs are feeling, and now we’ll see how things go next week.”

Meanwhile in Sjælland, Denmark, the second round of the Shimano MTB Liga was held — and once again, Wilier-Vittoria was ready to deliver. Sofie Pedersen dominated the women’s race, while her brother Gustav Pedersen took 2nd in the men’s event, only being passed in the final moments by Sebastian Fini Carstensen.

In the coming days, the full Wilier-Vittoria squad will head to the Czech Republic, ready to take on the iconic World Cup round in Nove Mesto (May 23–25).