For her twenty-first birthday, which she celebrated yesterday, Laura Squarise gifted herself a new jersey: that of the Trinx Factory Team. The biker from Alessandria is the first new face officially announced by the team led by Luca Bramati for the 2026 season.

«Contacts with the team began at the end of June in Chies d'Alpago and a week later, in Esanatoglia, we reached an agreement», recalls Laura, who already had the opportunity to breathe in the atmosphere of the new crew at the end of last season.

«I had the opportunity to participate in the last four World Cup rounds: in Haute Savoie, Lenzerheide, Lake Placid, and Mont Sainte Anne. What struck me most was the family atmosphere of the team», explains the Italian athlete, who is preparing to face her third year in the Under 23 category with a top-level international calendar.

«I don't know what to expect, both because I'll be competing in international-level competitions and because I'm making a lot of changes in my athletic preparation. I feel good, but the improvements will need to be confirmed in competition».

Laura doesn't have a long career behind her. In fact, she's one of those athletes who took up cycling late.

«Until I was 14, I played volleyball, a sport I had to give up after two years of rehabilitation due to patellar subluxation in my knee. So I started practicing one of the few sports I could still do, cycling, riding along trails and through mountain huts with my dad Davide, who is an amateur cyclist».

It was therefore a surprise to see Laura become the Italian Junior Short Track Champion in 2023, just two years after her debut.

«Even though I started late, technically I found my footing with the bike quite quickly. I think it's thanks to the rides with my dad, but also to the Enduro races and days at the bike parks», explains the athlete, who, in addition to her first season with the Trinx Factory Team, will be working towards a degree in Sports Science in 2026.

«But I'll continue my master's degree», Laura anticipates. «I've always enjoyed studying and learning, so much so that in addition to my high school diploma in science, I earned an American high school diploma. Even when Luca suggests training sessions, I try to understand what the benefits might be and delve deeper into the effects of these tests».

The tests, however, will be those of the races.

«Goals? I'm very demanding, but I know I still have a lot to learn. Finding consistency in the races in Italy, finishing in the top five of the Under 23s, could be a first goal to aspire to».

The team manager Luca Bramati is also aware that he must be patient with the young Italian, despite being aware of her room for growth.

 «Laura is an athlete to be discovered, but she impressed me with her methodical approach and precision. We'll see if the path we've been following in these months bears fruit and if we've discovered a new talent in the Italian movement. I believe the potential is there, but the races will confirm it. That’s why Laura will immediately be thrown into the group at the most important racers on the international calendar. We won't put pressure on her, but she's our top U23 rider for the new Trinx Factory Team cycle; a cycle that, as the Chinese management asked us in November, will be dedicated to young athletes».