Hailing from Cremona in the picturesque region of Lombardy in Italy, Marta was an active youngster and tried lots of different sports in her family’s back garden and at school.
Interestingly it was Mark Cavendish that was her sporting idol as a youngster; she fell in love with cycling when he sprinted to multiple wins at the Giro d’italia. Combining that with a family that enjoys cycling, Marta eventually took an interest in one of the many bikes that were littered throughout her home and decided to give it a try. First practicing her “Cavendish sprints” around the garden, at around the age of five she visited her local club for fun.
“It was a good hobby and a nice way to spend time with friends in the afternoon after school but as I got older things became more serious year-on-year, and I began competing in races.”
Compete she did, and Marta grew through the ranks steadily as she turned pro before having a coming-of-age campaign in 2022 where she made her mark at the top of women’s cycling. Being crowned the Queen of the Ardennes with wins at Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, she also took fifth place at Paris-Roubaix for good measure as well. It was her climbing ability which really shone, and after winning the Mont Ventoux Challenge, she went toe-to-toe in a battle for the overall title at the Giro d’Italia Women; ultimately taking a gritty second place.
Evidently fiercely competitive on the bike with a “determined” and “motivated” attitude, Marta is a bit quieter and more reserved off the bike; describing herself as a “shy” person; and is someone who leads by example rather than words. Marta even jokes that her quieter nature makes her appear “really serious” to those that don’t know her, but she thinks she’s “more fun than people think.”
