It's Christmas, red and white are two of the colors that characterize this festive period. These same colors evoke special memories for Cristina Tonetti: "These are the colors of the polka dot jersey!". The athlete from Laboral Kutxa – Fundación, breaking away in the first stage of the Tour de France Femmes, had claimed the climbers' stage and maintained the leadership in the special classification until the stage ending in Liège. "Being at the Tour for the first time was already very exciting and had a special meaning for me. Managing to wear the polka dot jersey made everything truly super. Those days were the most beautiful moment of my season," recounts the 22-year-old from Lombardy to tuttobiciweb.

A year, the first with the Basque formation of Laboral Kutxa – Fundación, in which Cristina pinned the number on her back for about fifty days: the first race in January in Spain, the last commitment in China in October. In between, the three Grand Tours, all completed, second place in the mountain classification at Vuelta Andalusia, some placements, the blue jersey worn at the Europeans, and an important wealth of experience that Tonetti will surely know how to leverage in the upcoming season.

And it is precisely the new year that the young Brianza cyclist is focused on, telling us: "I'm working to prepare myself for 2025. I spent about ten days in Spain training in the warmth and returned to Italy for the weekend to spend the holidays with my loved ones," she tells us.

Then she adds, almost by way of explanation: "Today, however, no bike. At Christmas, family and relaxation are the priorities. I rode yesterday, the Lake Como ride on Christmas Eve is a must, it's a tradition."

Under the tree, good intentions and goals for the next year cannot be missing either. Cristina thinks about it and confides one to us: "Have a good season". Then, in an even lower voice, she adds: "A victory would be a dream".