His last World Cup appearance was dated September 23 2023, in the French stage in Les Portes du Soleil. Then Cristian Bernardi was forced to take a break to win a personal battle with illness. A break that ended yesterday on the New York trails of Lake Placid, where the 22-year-old returned to savor the atmosphere of top international competition (photo by Maxime Schmid).

Cristian participated in the Elite competition, crossing the finish line in 79th position; a great satisfaction for the athlete and for the entire Trinx Factory Team entourage, which has always accompanied him even when his return to racing seemed far away.

The first of the two overseas stages of the Cup saw Olivia Onesti finish 15th in Friday's short track and 12th in the Olympic Cross Country event: with these placings, the French U23 champion, penalized by a flu syndrome in the days leading up to the race, defended her second position in the World Cup standings, a prestigious placement that the transalpine will try to defend in a week's time in Mont Sainte Anne.

Lucia Bramati will also be in Canada, hunting for the best shape ahead of the cyclocross season, a specialty in which the 21-year-old has always performed well. In the United States, she placed 28th in the short track and 40th in the cross country event.