14 Hours 52 Minutes: Vittoria Bergamini Takes on ICON 2026![]()
3.8 km swim. 195 km on the bike. More than 5,000 metres of elevation gain. 42.2 km mountain marathon. 14 hours and 52 minutes of racing.
For MAD.ONE ambassador Vittoria Bergamini, ICON 2026 was about more than completing a race. It was about taking on something bigger than anything she had done before and finding out just how far she could push herself.
She finished as the first woman, after more than 14 hours of racing through some of the toughest terrain the Alps have to offer.
But the result only tells part of the story.
A challenge bigger than anything before
When asked what made her take on ICON, Vittoria's answer was simple:
“I wanted to challenge myself with something bigger than anything I had done before, something that would be both an adventure and a chance to push beyond my limits.”
That mindset shaped everything that followed.
ICON demands an unusual combination of endurance, strength and resilience. Preparing for it meant increasing her training volume, but also becoming more specific with how she trained.
In June, Vittoria began working with Giulio Molinari, a three-time ICON winner. Together, they focused not only on increasing the amount of training, but on improving its quality and building the strength needed for the long climbs - both on the bike and during the run.
The goal was not simply to be fit enough to finish.
It was to be ready for what the course would demand.
Ready, but still curious
The day before the race, Vittoria felt different from how she usually does before a competition.
“I usually get quite anxious before races,” she explains. “But this time I felt prepared. I was eager to challenge myself and curious to see what I could achieve.”
That combination, preparation and curiosity, carried her into race day.
The plan was clear: come out of the swim in first place, race from the front and hold the lead for as long as possible.
And that is exactly what happened.
But being in front comes with its own pressure.
“Being in the lead gives you more control over your race strategy and how you manage your energy,” Vittoria says. “The plan was to come out of the swim in first place and race from the front, trying to hold that lead for as long as possible.”
When the race gets hard
ICON eventually tested every part of that preparation.
For Vittoria, the hardest part came during the second ascent of the Stelvio from the Prato allo Stelvio side.
“My legs began to feel heavy, and whenever I got out of the saddle, I would start cramping.”
The problem did not disappear when she reached the run.
Her legs were still stiff and painful, and the cramps continued to threaten her progress.
But there was no single moment where the race became easy again.
“There wasn’t just one difficult moment,” she says. “During the run, my legs were still stiff and painful, and the cramps kept threatening to come back.”
And there was another challenge: the women behind her were closing the gap.
During the run, Vittoria knew she had to change her approach.
“I had to pick up the pace because the women behind me were running faster, and if I had maintained the same pace, they would have caught me.”
The race was no longer simply about surviving the final kilometres.
She had to keep racing.
“We’ve won ICON.”
After more than 14 hours of swimming, cycling, climbing, running and managing the physical limits of her body, Vittoria reached the final climb towards the finish.
And that became the moment she remembers most.
“When I realised I was going to win, I looked at my partner, who was also my support during the run, and said to him: ‘We’ve won ICON.’”
It was not just a finish.
It was the realisation that everything they had worked towards had come together.
For Vittoria, the moments immediately before crossing the line were even more special than the finish itself.
“You wish time would stand still so you could savour it a little longer.”
Then came the finish line and the emotion that followed.
“As you cross the line, you’re overwhelmed with emotion and the feeling that you’ve achieved something extraordinary.”
First woman. One extraordinary day.
After 14 hours and 52 minutes, Vittoria Bergamini crossed the finish line as the first woman of ICON 2026.
But her achievement goes beyond the result.
ICON demanded almost 200 kilometres on the bike, thousands of metres of climbing and a full mountain marathon after an already exhausting day. It demanded patience when the body was struggling, discipline when the pace had to change and determination when stopping would have been easier.
That is what makes Vittoria's story so closely connected to what we stand for at MAD.ONE.
Push beyond limits. Embrace the challenge. Become your own number one.
A message to women who want to go further
Vittoria's message to other women in cycling is perhaps the most important part of her story.
“I would love to encourage other women to believe in themselves,” she says.
“It might sound like a cliché, something we’ve all heard countless times. But I truly believe that trusting ourselves and believing we can succeed can help us turn our dreams into reality.”
For Vittoria, belief is only the beginning.
“It takes hard work, consistency and dedication, but reaching a goal you’ve dreamed of makes all that effort worthwhile.”
And ultimately, she believes everyone should have something that pushes them forward.
“I think we should always have something to aim for that excites us and makes us feel alive and strong.”
That is exactly what ICON became for Vittoria.
A challenge bigger than anything she had done before.
A race that pushed her to her limits.
And proof of what can happen when you decide to find out just how far you can go.
Congratulations, Vittoria.
We are proud to have you as part of the MAD.ONE crew.
Become your own number one.