Italy's Letizia Paternoster returned to racing at the Madrid Challenge on Friday. She was happy to be able to race in November after a knee injury kept her out of racing for five months.

The 21-year-old Trek-Segafredo rider finished 12th in the uphill finish of Escalona, four seconds behind winner Lorena Wiebes (Team Sunweb).

While most riders are looking forward to finishing the season in Madrid on Sunday after three days of racing, Paternoster is happy to be back in the saddle. She was one of four Trek Segafredo riders to run, along with new Italian champion Elisa Longo Borghini, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, and Ellen van Dijk.

The Madrid Challenge was her first race of the season in Trek-Segafredo colors and her second road race after a weekend of Italian national championships in the colors of the Italian military sports team Fiam Azzurre.

Paternoster began suffering from a knee injury after running the UCI Track World Championships in February. He spent the spring at home in northern Italy, but was unable to return to serious training or racing.

"I feel good now, but I've never been this depressed. Everything seemed difficult and I was worried if I would recover," she admitted to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I was away from the game for five months. It wasn't easy to understand what the problem was and how to fix it."

"It was not easy to understand what the problem was and how to fix it.

"I learned who the important people in my life were. People like my manager Manuel Kinziat and my coach Dario Broccardo. The team has been very supportive and I am happy to have extended my contract for another two years."

Trek Segafredo this week finalized its 2021 roster, which includes Elinor Beckstedt, Lucinda Brand, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Lauretta Hansson, and Letizia Paternoster, who signed as practice squad members this August Shirin van Unrooy, Ellen van Dijk, Taylor Wiles, Ruth Winder, and Trixie Wollack were the 10 members announced.

Chloe Hosking and Amalie Dideriksen are the only two newcomers for 2021.

Paternoster will not compete in next week's European Track Championships, but will be back to her best and will compete for a spot on Italy's team for next summer's Olympic Games in Tokyo.