An excellent warm-up this morning at the MTB World Championships in Val di Sole with the Under 23 women's race, which opened today's program ahead of the highly anticipated Elite races, culminating in the battle for the world title among the major protagonists of international cross country.

The spotlight was stolen by Valentina Corvi, 21 years old, riding for Canyon XC Racing, who conquered the rainbow jersey at the end of a race in which she led from practically start to finish.

Already a World Cup winner at Val di Sole in 2025, the young Italian rider delivered a lightning-fast start. From the opening kilometers, Corvi imposed an extremely high pace, immediately making the difference and pulling away from the rest of the field.

Behind her, two Swiss riders, Anina Hutter and Monique Halter, tried to keep pace, but by the end of the first lap they were already trailing the leader by approximately twenty seconds.

During the race, the gap narrowed slightly around the midpoint of the event, but without ever truly threatening the Italian's lead. In the final laps, the Canyon XC Racing rider opened up again, progressively increasing her advantage until she crossed the finish line alone with over forty seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

After the race, we caught up with the new world champion at the microphone, still emotional about a result that represents the culmination of an extraordinary season.

Valentina, congratulations! After the gold you won in the Team Relay, you've now added the rainbow jersey in the individual race. This week you've shown extraordinary form. How was your preparation for this appointment, considering that road racing was also part of your training?

"This year I approached the season differently compared to the past. In the first part of the year I raced a lot on the road, and this allowed me to build a strong base, both in terms of endurance and physical condition. Then, thanks to the races I competed in during the final part of the season, I was able to add that extra something needed to arrive ready for this appointment. It was a very carefully planned approach, where I tried to pay attention to every detail. Winning here was the dream of this season and in some way it also represented the closing of a chapter in the Under 23 category. I'm truly proud of what I did today and I want to thank all the people who helped and supported me along this journey."

With this beautiful rainbow jersey, where will we see you racing next?

"The next appointments will be the World Cup races in America, where I'll try to continue on this path and finish the season on a high note. But today I just want to enjoy this wonderful day, this jersey, and all the emotions I'm experiencing right now."