Gaia Realini

Gaia Realini (Lidl-Trek) is one of the most promising young climbers in the peloton, and proved herself with two podium finishes in Grand Tours in her first pro season with Lidl-Trek in 2023.

The 22-year-old first made herself known in 2021 when she finished sixth on the Prato Nevoso climb in the Giro Donne, a feat she backed up in 2022 with a strong day in the breakaway and fifth at the finish on the Giro’s Queen stage.

In 2023, given freedom in both the Vuelta Femenina and the Giro d'Italia, Realini won a stage in the Vuelta - beating Annemiek van Vleuten, no less - and finished third overall in both races.

With a small and light stature, the Italian looks like a pure climber and is certainly very strong on the climbs, but she has shown her abilities and attacking nature in one-day racing, too. Having raced primarily in Italy during her two years on the Isolmant-Premac-Vittoria squad, her move to the WorldTour in 2023 has seen her race a more varied season, with a Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift debut possibly on the horizon in 2024.