Federico Brafa secures the first victory in the Junior category at Internazionali d'Italia Series 2025, winning on the technical and challenging Pineta Sperane course. The young KTM Protek Elettrosystem athlete conquered a solo victory at the end of a selective race, conditioned by the heavy terrain after the previous day's rain. On the podium, Ettore Fabbro (KTM Protek Elettrosystem), second, and Elia Rial (Scott Racing Team), third.

"It was a tough race, you had to be very careful because one small mistake could compromise the entire race," explains Federico Brafa. "Ettore and I found ourselves at the front early with a good advantage. The course was very slippery, and there wasn't a specific point that made the real difference. After a turn, I found myself with a few meters of advantage and decided to attack. It worked out well!"

Ettore Fabbro, second at the finish line, comments: "We knew we had to stay at the front, and I did so from the start. At the first pass through the finish line, I saw Fede (Brafa) was with me, so we pushed together. He then moved ahead and managed to create a gap between us. We had tried the course with the national team at the beginning of the month, which definitely helped, but unfortunately some of the lines we had studied were not usable in this muddy situation. The stage was still very useful."

"I usually struggle a lot in wet conditions, so I'm very satisfied with my result. The only point where I could gain ground was the long climb. Then I had to defend myself on the descent, even though I felt I had better legs than the others and hoped to do something more. Considering the conditions, I can be satisfied," concludes Elia Rial.

At the start under a timid sun, 113 athletes challenged themselves on a 3.5 km course to be repeated three times, facing a ground made treacherous by mud. From the early stages, the race saw Brafa and his teammate Ettore Fabbro take the lead with a fierce pace, creating a significant gap from the rest of the group in the first lap. At the end of the initial lap, the KTM duo had accumulated over a minute's advantage over Pietro Cao (Trinx Factory Team), the main pursuer.

During the penultimate lap, Brafa launched the decisive attack, managing to drop Fabbro and entering the final lap with a 25-second lead over his teammate. Behind him, Cao was pursuing at over 1'40", followed by Elia Rial (Scott Racing Team) at about 2 minutes. In the finale, Rial managed to overtake the Trinx athlete, thus securing third place, while Cao finished in fourth position.