Maho Kakita smiles, and her smile radiates joy. The twenty-year-old Japanese athlete arrived in Italy just a few days ago to join Bepink - Imatra – Bongioanni, and when we meet her at the team presentation in Fidenza, we immediately understand that her emotions are numerous.

With the help of an interpreter and thanks to the Bepink staff's availability, we ask Maho to tell us about these emotions. In a soft voice, she responds: "I'm experiencing a beautiful, entirely new experience. As is often the case, there's a bit of worry, but I'm truly happy to be here in Italy with my new Bepink - Imatra – Bongioanni teammates. I'm ready for this new adventure".

The Italian adventure for the young woman from Fukuoka began at Milano – Sanremo, not riding in the group, but following the race in the team car. "I couldn't appreciate the race as I would have while riding, but I perceived the race's importance and felt a great emotion. It was really wonderful to be with the team on such an important occasion. I hope to participate and perform well in the next edition," she tells us.

Kakita was born on December 20, 2004, and has always loved sports but "discovered" cycling recently: "I played football until I was 15. Then, I was selected for the Japan Rising Star Project (a project supported by the Japanese Olympic Committee and other government entities to discover new talents), I did many activities and tests, after which I started practicing cycling and fell in love with the bicycle," she says.

In just a few years of activity, Maho has achieved significant international results: in 2022, in Wollongong, she finished fifth in the Junior World Championships, just behind Italian Francesca Pellegrini; the following season, she participated in the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes and the Asian Games, where she placed sixth in the Junior women's road race. Last year, she took part in the World Championships in Zurich and the Paris Olympic Games, representing Japan in track events. This year, she started the season as a protagonist, winning the gold medal in the U23 Asian Road Championships, as well as silver in the mixed relay and U23 time trial.

Arriving in Italy and being able to race in Europe is a dream come true for Maho. Talking to her, we discover that during the Australian World Championships in Wollongong, she met Yukiya Arashiro (three-time Japanese national road champion, currently with Team Solution Tech - Vini Fantini) and from that moment hoped to race on this continent. We ask Maho which colleague she most admires, and the answer comes as quickly as a sprint: "World Champion Lotte Kopecky. She's great on both road and track!"

The young Japanese athlete is also clear about which race she would most like to compete in: "The Tour," she responds with a smile. But, even if she doesn't say it openly, Maho Kakita lets us understand that in the coming seasons, she dreams of reaching two important milestones: a podium at the Track World Championships and participation in Los Angeles 2028.

So let's start noting down the name of this talented girl, managed by Walter Zini, because behind Maho's joyful smile, we assure you, there is also great determination.