Maria Acuti wins the Italian Junior Women’s Championship with Team Biesse Carrera Zambelli
A memorable day for Team Biesse Carrera Zambelli at the Italian Junior Women’s Road Championships held between Sora and Atina (Lazio). Maria Acuti claimed the coveted tricolour jersey after a fiercely contested race, delivering one of the team’s most prestigious results of the season under the guidance of Andrea Manzini and Dario Marchica.
The 2008-born rider from Mantua produced the decisive sprint to edge out Carlotta Petris (Team Ceresetto Canturino). Completing a remarkable day for Team Biesse Carrera Zambelli, Brescia’s Elisa Bianchi secured third place, giving the team two riders on the national championship podium.
This marks the sixth Italian national title of Maria Acuti’s career, achieved just four days after her eighteenth birthday. The victory confirms her outstanding form: after six wins in the previous month, she has now claimed her seventh victory of the season. Just a week earlier, she dominated the Internazionale Cycling Festival, winning all three stages and the overall classification against Under-23 and Elite competitors.
“This national title means a great deal, and having two riders on the podium makes it even more special,” said Sports Director Andrea Manzini. “Maria came into the race in exceptional form, and we knew we had several strong options to play. We executed our strategy perfectly. Elisa Bianchi’s bronze medal adds even more value to the result, but every rider approached the race exactly as we had planned.”
Sports Director Dario Marchica also shared his satisfaction:
“This is a very close-knit group. The riders work together with an incredible team spirit, and today they proved it once again. Determination, commitment and teamwork made the difference.”
After the finish, the new Italian Champion shared her emotions:
“The finale was difficult to read, but I’m really happy with how I managed it. I thought I’d exited the final corner too far back, but I was able to come through and take the win. The Italian Championships were one of my main goals for the season, and wearing the national champion’s jersey for a year is something truly special. I came into the race in great form, and that gave me a lot of confidence.”
Elisa Bianchi, who finished third, was equally pleased with the team’s performance:
“It was an incredible result for the whole team. We knew we were very competitive, but finishing first and third at the Italian Championships is something truly special. Maria and I closed down the final breakaway before the sprint began. I just lacked a little in the final sprint, but Maria did a fantastic job of finishing off all the hard work the team had done.”
With Maria Acuti’s Italian national title and Elisa Bianchi’s bronze medal, Team Biesse Carrera Zambelli celebrates one of its most significant days of the season, confirming the quality of its development programme and the continued growth of a team capable of competing at the highest level of Italian junior women’s cycling.
