Cycling has always been part of Gaia’s family story. Her father raced from juniors into the amateur ranks, her brother rode too, but initially Gaia was hesitant to get on the bike as she was the only woman in the area who did cycling. However, a first race changed everything. “I won,” she laughs. “From that moment on, I never stopped. Now in my family everyone has quit… except me.”
Before cycling took over, Gaia was a talented swimmer, training under a coach who tried to convince her to take it up full-time. But when faced with the decision, she trusted her instinct. “I liked swimming, but you’re always in the same lane, looking at the same wall,” she says. “On the bike you see the world. You feel more free.” That sense of freedom still motivates her today, balanced with the competitiveness that fuels her training: “Sometimes I enjoy just riding, but of course I like seeing my numbers go up too. It’s a balance.”
Gaia spent her U23 years at Top Girls Fassa Bortolo before stepping moving over to AG Insurance in 2022 — a period that brought both breakthrough moments and difficult challenges. Her defining highlight came in 2023 at La Classique Morbihan, where she unexpectedly took the biggest win of her career. “It wasn’t supposed to be my race,” she explains. “But our leader had bad luck and said, ‘Gaia is in shape — she should try.’ Everything aligned that day. I still feel speechless when I think about it.”
The seasons that followed were tougher. A crash at Strade Bianche led to two months away from racing, followed by a long and frustrating battle with mononucleosis. “I did the Giro with the virus,” she says. “Afterward I was so tired, and mentally it was really hard. You can’t fix that kind of illness — you can only rest and hope. Even after three months, the virus was still in my blood.” Working with a mental coach helped her find clarity and rebuild confidence. “There was a moment where I didn’t know if I could make it through,” she admits. “But I’m still here.”
For Gaia, joining Team Picnic PostNL in 2025 is a clean slate. “After four years at my previous team, it was time to change environment,” she says. “I’m really excited for this new chapter.” She’s also looking forward to finally racing alongside fellow Italians. “It’s funny — at my last team I was the only Italian. Now I’ll have Rachele and Eleonora. It will be strange, but really nice.”
Looking ahead, Gaia’s goals are grounded but ambitious: “I want to grow. I know I can still improve. And I want revenge after 2025 — because it was really tough,” she says with a smile. “A new team, new energy, new motivation. I’m excited.”
Away from the bike, Gaia enjoys unwinding with her daschunds, taking them for walks and stopping by the local café with friends.
Stubborn, determined, and hardworking — her own three words — Gaia arrives as a rider with resilience, talent, and a story that’s only just getting started.