ANOTHER YEAR IN TRICOLORE: BRAIDOT RETAINS ITALIAN XCO TITLE FOR WILIER-VITTORIA

Luca Braidot has added yet another Tricolore jersey to his growing collection. The Friulian rider from the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team claimed his fifth Italian XCO national title, and his third in a row since 2023. Racing in Tabiano Terme, near Parma, and wearing the jersey of GS Fiamme Oro Police — as tradition at the Italian Championships — Braidot held off teammate Juri Zanotti by 25 seconds.

“Juri would’ve deserved the win too — today he showed more courage than anyone else with his attacks,” said Braidot. “I didn’t feel great at the start, but I came around well in the final laps. On the last climb before the finish, I found my legs and gave it everything. I’m going through a good period right now — my form is solid, the legs are responding, and the sensations are good. Wearing this jersey is always a huge honour. You never get used to it — every time is special. Now the focus shifts to the European Championships, where we’ll head in with a motivated and united team.”

When the Tricolore jersey is on the line, team tactics take a back seat. Everyone races for themselves, chasing the dream of wearing Italy’s iconic red, white and green. Juri Zanotti, who recently won the Italian short track title, came incredibly close to a stunning double, but had to settle for second after being overtaken by his teammate on the final lap.

“The form is there, and I tried from far out — I was close to pulling it off,” Juri admitted. “At nationals, it’s all about first place, so I can’t be fully satisfied with second. But when the rider who beats you is someone like Braidot, who passes you cleanly and proves to be the strongest, there’s not much more to say. I’m proud of how I raced and to have been in contention for the jersey until the very end. And having my family and friends cheering me on made it even more special — that’s the beauty of sport.”

In the same race, Simone Avondetto finished 5th, while in the U23 men’s race, Elian Paccagnella was unable to defend his title, losing out in a sprint finish to Matteo Siffredi and having to settle for second place.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic in Langford, Canada, near Vancouver, Ella MacPhee earned two runner-up finishes. In the elite women’s XCC, she finished behind Jennifer Jackson, and in the U23 XCO, she was beaten by Marin Lowe.

All eyes now turn to the upcoming European Championships in Melgaço, Portugal, where Simone Avondetto will officially relinquish the jersey he’s proudly worn for the past 12 months.