Belluno's Giada Specia is one of the top Italian cross country mountain bike specialists, often standing out at the international level. She boasts a curious and enviable record in road cycling. Miss Giada Specia only races on the road with the National Team jersey, never with a club jersey.

In 2024, Giada participated in the road race of the Youth Olympics wearing the blue jersey. Next week, she will race on the road at the Ponente in Rosa elite stage race with the Italian jersey. In fact, the race scheduled for March 11, 12, and 13 will feature an Italian National Team composed exclusively of athletes who typically play important roles in cross country mountain bike competitions. At Ponente in Rosa, Italy will be led by Mirko Celestino, the mountain bike national coach.

Last Saturday, Giada finished second in a mountain bike race in Verona, behind South Tyrolean Greta Seiwald, another cyclist who will participate in the "Ponente" with Mirko Celestino's Italy.

"I have no road racing experience," says Giada, who will turn 25 on March 20, "but I'm certain that for me and the other off-road blue jerseys, Ponente in Rosa will be a wonderful experience. It will also be a great showcase for all of us".

Giada will become, at the very least for a week, a multi-discipline athlete with the right spirit: "I know perfectly well that for us off-road riders, it will be more difficult initially to stay in the group - says the blue jersey from the KTM Factory team -: filing down and avoiding energy waste is an exercise we are less accustomed to. We are used to different racing conditions. But I'll give it my all to make a good impression".

On the first day of Ponente in Rosa, there will be a 4-kilometer prologue in Loano, on the second day, Monte Melogno will be climbed, with over 1000 meters of positive elevation gain, clearly starting from sea level. And even the final stage, though short, will be very selective, with Passo Ginestro and other climbs.

"On the road," continues the girl from Pedavena, "I have great endurance. I weigh 50 kilos, and thanks to mountain bike activities, I'm used to elevation changes. I'll try to make a good impression without expecting exaggerated performances. I don't know many of the protagonists, and this might create some additional difficulties for me. I'll face these situations with determination".

Clearly, the now traditional participation of the Swiss off-road National Team at Ponente also prompted Celestino to create an azzurra formation with his excellent specialists for the stage race in Liguria. Moreover, in 2023, Swiss rider Jolanda Neff won 2 stages and the overall classification at Ponente in Rosa; she was the reigning Olympic Mountain Bike Champion.

"My trainer Walter Costa," adds the Belluno cyclist, "said that the Ponente in Rosa road race will do me good and will constitute a good speed training in preparation for mountain bike challenges. Walter is very favorable to my participation in the Loabikers race".

Giada Specia will participate in the international cross country mountain bike race in Albenga, also in Liguria, on Saturday, March 8, International Women's Day. And from Tuesday, Giada and Greta Seiwald will race the Ponente with the other azzurre mountain bikers: Chiara Teocchi, Valentina Corvi, Nicole Pesse