Wilier-Vittoria Back in Tricolore, Juri Zanotti Wins Again in La Salle

It was a great day for the Wilier-Vittoria MTB Factory Team at the Italian Short Track Championships in La Salle (Aosta Valley), where Juri Zanotti claimed the Elite men's tricolore jersey after a thrilling and hard-fought race. The defending Italian champion successfully retained his title thanks to a decisive attack on the final lap, crossing the finish line solo and securing his second consecutive Italian XCC crown.

"I'm happy to have defended the title," said Zanotti. "Compared to last year, it was a more difficult race to manage. The course was faster, with lots of corners, and it wasn't easy to make the difference. The only place where you could really attack was the climb just after the finish arch. I decided to make my move around the fourth lap and managed to open a small gap. Simone tried to drop Gioele Bertolini but couldn't, and in the end he let him do some of the work. On the final climb I increased the pace again, gained a few more meters, and that allowed me to enjoy the run to the finish. I'm really happy to keep the jersey for another season."

Completing the team's strong performance was Simone Avondetto's third-place finish. Always among the front-runners, the Italian rider delivered an aggressive and tactically smart race, helping shape the decisive moves before securing a well-deserved podium spot behind runner-up Gioele Bertolini.