Marta Cavalli - "I felt like it I could attack and that's what I did"

Marta Cavalli won the first Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenges Femmes, soloing clear 2.5km from the Giant of Provence's peak. Cavalli finished 41 seconds ahead of Clara Koppenberg, with French National Champion Evita Muzic a further eight seconds behind in third.

"We had prepared this race well and I had the opportunity to study it several times, especially with the passages of the Tour de France. I was in training last week, but I was already thinking about today's race and my head was already in the Mont Ventoux! I would really like to thank the organization for allowing us to do a race like this one. I think that today we did a very good job with the team," the Italian said after the finish.

With wins at Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallone, the 24-year old had already shown her climbing prowess this year, which she used to take another meaningful win. "We controlled all the climbs, we were always in front and we had planned the last kilometers. If I felt like it I could attack and that's what I did," she detailed.

"The last kilometers seemed to be quite long because we were at high altitude, but I felt good and I found again the good sensations I had had in the mountain training. I am very happy with this victory and I am very happy to offer the team another first place!" she said after her victory," Cavalli concluded.