The Nove Mesto forest has always been a mix of emotions for bikers: the pain of climbing, the risks of scree, but also the thrill of jumping and the warmth of the crowd. It was an emotional rollercoaster experienced by Laura Squarise and Antonia Grangl, the two athletes from the Trinx Factory Team who today competed in the Under-23 Olympic Cross Country race, valid for the World Cup second round.

In addition to the unique track and atmosphere of the Czech circuit, the two athletes directed by Luca Bramati achieved multiple race within a single race.

Laura Squarise, fresh from 30th place in yesterday's XCC, had a forgettable start, dropping to around 50th place. From that point on, the Italian was forced to take risks, even on the most technical sections, to make up ground.

An aggressive race that paid off: Laura crossed the finish line in 43rd place at the end of the first lap, finished the third in 34th place; in the second half of the race, she was able to catch up with the athletes battling for 25th place. Her 26th place finish, in short, doesn't fully express the depth of her performance.

The same can be said of rookie Antonia Grangl, making her first appearance in the Under 23 World Cup. The young Austrian delivered a quality performance, marred by a crash in the second lap that dropped her about fifteen positions. Finding herself in 47th place at the end of the second of six laps, the eighteen-year-old rebuilt her race, recovering positions to finish 32nd. Regarding the 2007-born girls, Antonia finished sixth.

The excitement provided by the two Under 23s won't be the last of the long weekend in Nove Mesto.

Tomorrow, it's the turn of U19 Giorgia Pellizotti, competing at 10:00 a.m. in the UCI Junior Series race; Lucia Bramati, meanwhile, will line up among the other elite riders at 12:00 p.m.

In Italy, Under23 Pietro Cao and U19 Flavio Dispensa will be in action, competing in the Durona Bike race, in the province of Vicenza.