Arianna Fidanza led Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi to their ninth victory of the young 2026 season, winning the bunch sprint at the short but hilly Pionera Race-SCV in Spain.
The 31-year-old Italian edged Laura Asencio (Ma Petite Entreprise) and Oda Ane Gissinger (Hitec Products-Fluid Control), the trio crossing the line in Cocentaina with a small gap over the peloton.
Fidanza scored her first victory since 2023 at the race in the mountains of the Alicante province. It was also her first win in purple for the Basque team, which she joined last year.
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"The finish was extraordinary in a very nervous race. We increased the pace on the climb to thin out the group and neutralize the breakaway of Alma Walther Møller Rasmussen. Both Ari [Fidanza] and Debora [Silvestri] had strong legs," said Ion Lazkano, sports director for Laboral Kutxa.
The 96km one-day event began in El Real de Gandia and most of the opening 43km was a steady climb to the category 2 Alto de Beniarrés peak. A series of uncategorised climbs then followed with the slight uphill finish in Cocentaina.
"Despite not being the most numerous team in the leading group, we played our cards well. Ari knew how to finish it off, and it gives us a very important ninth victory," Lazkano added.
Previous to the win on home soil, Laboral Kutxa-Euskadi had massive results in El Salvador, including victories on three stages, the prologue and overall at the 2.1-level Tour El Salvador.
For Ma Petite Entreprise, the race was a debut for the French new team, and gave them a podium on their first-ever race.
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