Martina Berta makes history in La Thuile with a brilliant victory in front of her home crowd

The XCO World Cup in La Thuile has its first winner in history. The Italian Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) triumphed this Sunday in the debut of the Italian circuit on the Olympic Cross-country calendar after an impeccable performance in front of her home crowd. The Italian rider attacked midway through the race to take the lead and then withstood the pressure from Savilia Blunk to achieve a victory that ends more than ten years without Italian wins in the highest international competition.

Martina Berta conquers La Thuile and brings Italy back to the top of the World Cup more than a decade later

The last Italian to win a World Cup XCO event was Eva Lechner in 2014. More than a decade later, Berta placed Italy back at the top of the women's podium with her first World Cup victory and also gave the Origine Racing Division team their first win in a World Cup XCO, a particularly significant success at a time when there are doubts about the continuity of the structure for the next season.

The race started with Jenny Rissveds taking the initiative from the first meters, but soon one of the day's main protagonists appeared. The Swiss Ronja Blöchlinger launched a powerful attack during the first lap and managed to open a gap of nearly ten seconds over her pursuers.

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For much of the early stages, it was Blöchlinger who set the pace at the front while a chasing group formed behind her, consisting of Martina Berta, Savilia Blunk, and the main favorites. The World Cup leader, Jenny Rissveds, remained in the front positions, although it soon became clear that she was not having her best day.

The race progressively intensified on a completely new circuit for the XCO World Cup, with long climbs, narrow trails, and a spectacular central descent that included rocky areas and logs more typical of enduro than traditional cross-country.

The situation changed completely on the fourth lap. Fueled by the support of the local crowd, Martina Berta launched a decisive attack that allowed her to catch and surpass Blöchlinger. From that moment on, the Italian took absolute control of the race.

Behind her, Savilia Blunk was gaining momentum as the laps went by while Laura Stigger staged one of the most remarkable comebacks of the day. The Austrian climbed positions to enter the fight for the podium after a challenging start.

Meanwhile, Jenny Rissveds had to completely change her approach. Used to dominating the final races of the season, the Swede found herself without the best sensations and spent much of the race managing her efforts to minimize losses. She ultimately salvaged a commendable fourth position, a very valuable result for the overall standings on a day when she clearly did not have the legs of other days.

With a lap and a half to go, the race seemed to open up again. Savilia Blunk launched a strong attack and got to within just three seconds of Martina Berta when the bell for the final lap rang. However, the Italian responded coolly. As soon as she detected the American's approach, she increased her pace again and managed to regain some of her lead.

In the final kilometers, Berta maintained control of the situation and crossed the finish line alone to secure the biggest victory of her career. Blunk finished second, twelve seconds behind, while Laura Stigger completed the podium after finishing her comeback.

Berta's victory breaks the dominance that Jenny Rissveds and Laura Stigger had established in the last rounds and adds a new name to the list of winners in a season that continues to deliver unpredictable races.

In addition to the battle for victory, the day left a moment of concern with the fall of Chiara Teocchi, a rider from the BH Coloma Team, during the second lap. The Italian had to be evacuated by helicopter from the circuit. So far, no further details about her condition have been communicated.

Top 10 XCO World Cup La Thuile 2026

1. Martina Berta (Origine Racing Division) – 1:31:04
2. Savilia Blunk (Decathlon Ford Racing Team) – +12 s
3. Laura Stigger (Specialized Factory Racing) – +55 s
4. Jenny Rissveds (Canyon XC Racing) – +1:34
5. Ronja Blöchlinger (Liv Factory Racing) – +2:05
6. Sina Frei (Specialized Factory Racing) – +2:51
7. Evie Richards (Trek-Unbroken XC) – +3:16
8. Alessandra Keller (Thömus Maxon) – +3:45
9. Nicole Koller (Lapierre PXR Racing) – +4:07
10. Jolanda Neff (Cannondale Factory Racing) – +4:19