She celebrated her 18th birthday on December 6. Here she is with the Cofidis team jersey on her back. Olivia Onesti jumped into the deep end of professionalism in 2022. “It was a risk to take, but I told myself that we only have one life and I seized the opportunity” she says, with a touch of freshness. This June 30, she will seize an opportunity even more by playing her first big tour.
His first mountain biking experiences near Nantiat and Saint-Pardoux
It was at the age of 8 that Olivia Onesti started cycling. The native of Fontainebleau begins in her garden, with her brother. Above all, she is interested in cycling when she arrives in Limousin. “It has become a pleasure” As things progress, “then my father saw that we were doing a lot, he registered us for a TRGV (note, a mountain bike tournament).” At the time, the young Olivia was also doing judo and tennis among other things. She finally made the choice of the bike. Since then, she has rolled her bump, especially in the roads around. “I really like around the lake of Saint-Pardoux or along the Vienne” continues Olivia.
Mountain biking and cyclo-cross gave him his first sensations, at the US Nantiat. “I started to fight quickly with the boys. With my brother, who is older than me, I always tried to follow him, suddenly, I quickly progressed. Besides, the boys, they don’t really like getting beat up by girls (laughs)”. She will win her first medals, her first title of champion of France in mountain biking, youth categories… hear the Marseillaise. “It’s something to represent your country” she admits.
A first program where classics and grand tours intertwine
Here she is now professional on road races. Over the first six months, the races went rather well, even if it had been two years since she had driven too much on the road. “It’s a very, very big gap, there are things that need to be put in place. But I managed to adapt, find my place and help the team.” Sixtieth in the Trofeo Binda, she finished 36th in the Fleche Wallonne, another World Tour event. _”It hurts the legs” sours Olivia Onesti, “but for me, it’s a good result. I was especially happy to have progressed on my two World Tours”. _
No demands on this first Giro d’Italia
After a very busy month of June, she will therefore embark on her first Giro d’Italia. “If someone had told me that I would do a grand tour at 18, I would not have believed you too much” emphasizes Olivia Onesti. The young cyclist has no goal set by her team. “I know it’s going to be very hard. I don’t think I’ve ever done ten days of racing in a row. But I can’t wait to be there, to see what it feels like in terms of emotions and feelings.”
This stage race will be the way to learn about hydration, about placement in the peloton. On this Giro, she will have a role as a teammate so that the team faces a result. The climber-puncher will therefore go to Sardinia in the discovery phase.
The Giro d’Italia runs from June 30 to July 10:
- June 30: Stage 1, Cagliari – Cagliari, ITT, 4.7km
- July 1: Stage 2, Villasimius – Tortoli, 117.3 km
- July 2: Stage 3, Cala Gonone – Olbia, 112.7 km
- July 3: Rest day
- July 4: Stage 4, Cesena – Cesena, 120.9 km
- July 5: Stage 5, Carpi – Reggio Emilia, 123km
- July 6: Stage 6, Sarnico – Bergamo, 114.7 km
- July 7: Stage 7, Prevalle – Passo Maniva, 113.4 km
- July 8: Stage 8, Rovereto – Aldeno, 92.2km
- July 9: Stage 9, San Michele All’Adige – San Lorenzo Dorsino, 112.8 km
- July 10: Stage 10, Abano Terme – Padova, 90.5 km