Short-track is a discipline of pure adrenaline and Juri Zanotti of the Wilier-Vittoria team is the most authoritative specialist at the national level. Zanotti, 27 years old, has been crowned Italian Champion in short-track in the suggestive setting of La Salle, in Valle d'Aosta. In the short version of cross country-mountain bike, races last approximately 20 minutes and the courses are full of banked turns and berms. In the 2026 tricolor championship, Zanotti with a masterpiece of strength and riding technique beat two big names in off-road racing: Gioele Bertolini and Simone Avondetto.

For Juri Zanotti this was his 1st seasonal victory. "Spring pollen allergy as usual has somewhat affected my performances – explains the biker born in Lecco on January 5, 1999 – and now I'm starting to perform well".

In 2026, however, there have been no shortage of fine performances from Juri, finishing 2nd in the Melgaco race in Portugal in the Continental Series and also at the Courmayeur Mtb Event. Juri weighs 64 kilos distributed over 180 centimeters: in road cycling parameters, he has the typical build of a puncheur-climber. And indeed in off-road racing too, when the road or more likely the trail goes uphill, Juri Zanotti reveals his strengths.

At the international level, his best season dates back to 2021, his last year as an Under 23, when he finished 2nd at the European Championship and the World Championship. Furthermore, in the 2021 World Cup races he reached the podium 2 times. Generally Juri achieves his best results abroad: "Races outside Italy are less tactical, there's more direct racing. I often feel more comfortable in races outside Italy".

In World Cup races the competition between specialists is ruthless. "World Cup races – emphasizes the biker who lives with his family in Airuno, in the Lecco area of Brianza – are the ones that give an athlete the true professional and international dimension. Finishing in the top 10 in every World Cup race is becoming increasingly difficult".

Zanotti is facing a grueling schedule: "We're not in an Olympic year but the competition is fierce. I'm about to participate in 4 World Cup races. I'll race in Austria, then I'll do the Swiss one in Lanzerheide, followed by La Thuile in Valle d'Aosta and to close out the cycle we'll race in the Principality of Andorra. I'll have to give my all every time".

At Wilier-Vittoria they leave nothing to chance. "The Andorra race will take place at 2000 meters altitude. To prepare well I'll go to Livigno with my team and I'll also train above 2000 meters. It's important".

The tightrope walker from Lecco is very grateful to the team: "At Wilier Vittoria we have everything we need to carry out high-level activities. Nothing is missing from our team, and I'd like to thank the staff". He would like the seasonal "double" of Italian jerseys. After the series of World Cup races there will indeed be the Italian cross country championships in Nervesa della Battaglia (July 18 and 19), on the hills of the Marca Trevigiana region.

Juri's record at the Italian championships is excellent. He has been Italian Champion three times as an Under 23, twice among the Elite, and once as a junior. "Achieving the double of Italian titles in 2026 would be wonderful", he admits. The highlight for off-road riders in 2026 is represented by the European Championships under Monte Ceneri, in Canton Ticino (Italian-speaking Switzerland) and the World Championships in Val di Sole (Trento), which is now the permanent venue for mountain biking at the highest levels. "In the two main appointments we Italians will have the home advantage on our side, especially me, as someone from the Como area, on the Italian Swiss courses I can even go there training if I want. The home advantage will be exploited in the best way in Switzerland and Trentino. I hope to win medals again".

In Juri's career there are also appearances in major road races. The most important is the 2022 Trofeo Laigueglia for professionals. Slovenian Jan Polanc won and Zanotti participated wearing the Italian national team jersey. "It was a very beautiful, unforgettable experience – admits Juri – and I hope it can happen again. In this phase of my career, however, I would like to focus solely on mountain bike activities".