The future belongs to Giada Martinoli: first she focused on her diploma, then on winning important trophies on her mountain bike. Giada, 19, from the Carabinieri-Olympia Sports Group, lives in Bedero Valcuvia with her mom Alessandra, dad Adriano, and brother Valerio. Ms. Martinoli started cycling at 14, not particularly early, yet boasts a rich palmares of titles and podium medals.

The girl from Varese especially excelled as a junior. In 2024, she became Italian Cross Country Champion ahead of the renowned Elisa Ferri. In the same year, Giada Martinoli won the Italian Team Relay Championship and claimed victory in the same discipline with the National Team at the European Championship. At the 2024 European Individual Cross Country Championship, she secured the bronze medal.

In 2025, she debuted in the Under 23 category, winning the Team Relay Championship again. And to think that the girl from Bedero practiced other sports: "I started with swimming," Giada explains, with brown hair and brown eyes, "then moved to rock climbing. I also did running, injuring my meniscus."

In this circumstance, cycling turned out to be the most classic recovery therapy: "The doctors advised me to pedal to speed up my return to sports activity," continues the compatriot of Binda and Ganna, "and that's how I approached cycling, initially without participating in races."

Then Ju Green Gorla signed her for competitive cycling, and Giada repaid the club's trust with a series of victories. As a beginner, she also triumphed in the Trontano road climb (Verbano Cusio Ossola) ahead of Alice Bulegato, Erja Giulia Bianchi, and other well-known athletes in the young women's cycling scene.

"Trontano is the only road race I've competed in during my career. I'd like to try road racing again in the future," Giada Martinoli specifies, still closely tied to the Ju Green Gorla jersey while being proud to belong to the Carabinieri Olympia Sports Group. The slogan "give me a climb and I'll lift the race" suits her perfectly: "I prefer mountain bike routes with long climbs, where endurance is crucial. However, I also enjoy descents, especially technical ones."

Miss Martinoli set her MTB record in 2024: "I won all the cross country competitions held in Italy". At the 2024 World Championship, she finished seventh in the cross country event. "Some mechanical issues held me back; it could have gone better". In 2025, as an Under 23 and team relay champion, she had to slow down her momentum: "My cycling activity was strongly influenced by school. I graduated in health and environmental biotechnologies. I really cared about my diploma and achieved the goal. It made me happy, even though the teachers were strict and reluctant to grant training permissions. During that period, practicing competitive sports was difficult. It's one of the reasons I'm looking forward to the new year with hope of enriching my palmares."

Nothing will be left to chance. "In January, I'll train first alone, then with other bikers in Liguria. I'll be based in Pontedassio: the beautiful inland area of Imperia has hills and trails ideal for cross country mountain biking." In February, the Carabinieri cyclist will do more specific work. "In the second and third weeks, I and other members of the Carabinieri Olympia team will train on Mount Etna."

Since practicing cross country mountain biking, she has role models to look up to: "In men's cycling, definitely Nino Schurter, a true legend. Among the girls, myself and many other cycling girls dream of imitating British rider Evie Richards."

It's holiday time, and it's time to circle the 2026 goals in red pen. "First, I'd like to win my third consecutive Italian title in the team relay. Of course, besides achieving results, I want to improve technically."

Martinoli will make her competitive debut in March. "The international race in Albenga intrigues me immensely; it would be fantastic to win, knowing I'll face extremely tough competition". Naturally, the biker is also thinking about other important international challenges. "I'm happy that the World Cup includes the La Thuile event in Valle d'Aosta; I absolutely love the course."

The Italian Champion jersey will be awarded in Nervesa della Battaglia, in the Treviso hills. The Under 23 battle will be electrifying: "I want the tricolor jersey back, and beating Valentina Corvi, Elisa Ferri, and other talented cycling girls won't be easy."

2026 will be a great year for mountain biking: the World Championships will be held in Val di Sole. "The course is very beautiful, though tree roots create difficulties. Handling the bike well will be crucial". The Italian national coach Mirko Celestino has great confidence in the Varese rider: "After a challenging 2025, Giada can return to performing at a high level because she has a great engine. Moreover, she's a good person, kind and simple despite her collection of victories: she's easy to love. In 2026, I expect a lot from her".