2024 World Cycling Championships: Bora junior Finn becomes world champion, Fietzke fourth
Sebastian Lindner
· 26.09.2024
When Lorenzo Finn came onto the long home straight in Zurich, he couldn't believe it. He kept shaking his head, and when he finally rolled over the finish line, he put his hands on his helmet. The 17-year-old Italian had just become Junior World Champion 2024. He had to endure 127 kilometres in heavy rain to do so. But Finn was clearly the strongest on this day. He had already started his first solo ride around 60 kilometres before the finish, which ended after just under 25 kilometres. 20 kilometres before the finish, the youngster, who rides for the Red Bull Bora-Hansgrohe, Grenke - Auto Eder U19 team, tried again - this time with success. The first person he rode into the arms of at the finish was Christian Schrot, Bora's head of young talent.
He pulled out a two-minute lead on his first rival, Great Britain's Sebastian Grindley, who took silver and also crossed the finish line as a soloist. Behind him, three riders sprinted for bronze. Once again, Schrot had to keep his fingers crossed, as another of his boys, Paul Fietzke, was battling for precious metal. And it looked good, but in the final metres the runner-up from last year's world championship lost his strength and Senna Remijn from the Netherlands overtook him.
World champion Finn: "I prefer 35 degrees and sunshine"
The race was turned on its head when defending champion Albert Philipsen from Denmark, who had dictated the race up to that point and was in the lead together with Finn, crashed. Another favourite for the title, the French time trial world champion Paul Seixas, was already long gone.
"It feels like a dream," said the new world champion Finn in the winner's interview after the race. "I probably had the best legs of my life today. After the first attack, I thought to myself that it was actually a bit early. But when Albert brought the others back up, then crashed and I was alone in front again, I thought to myself that something could really happen today. I actually don't like the rain. I prefer 35 degrees and sunshine. But today was perfect."
World Cycling Championships 2024 - Results: the top 10 of the junior road race
- Lorenzo Finn (Italy) 2:57:05
- Sebastian Grindley (Great Britain) +2:05
- Senna Remijn (Netherlands) +3:06
- Paul Fietzke (Germany) +3:06
- Ashlin Barry (USA) +3:06
- Hector Alvarez (Spain) +3:44
- Paul Seixas (France) +4:11
- Jurgen Zomermaand (Netherlands) +4:11
- Theodor August Clemmensen (Denmark) +6:45
- Hakon Eiksund Oksnes (Norway) +7:04
World Cycling Championships 2024: How the junior road race went
The Danish team around defending champion Philipsen sorted out the field, which was thinned out by many crashes in the constant rain, well before the first of three finish passages. The Scandinavians were even prepared to sacrifice two of their four helpers. By the first finish, there were only around 20 riders left in the race for the title. Less than 50 kilometres had been ridden.
This group of riders narrowed again on the long climb to Witikon, with ten juniors staying together, including Fietzke. Finn broke away from his companions 60 kilometres before the finish. Fietzke also had to let go on the second ascent over the up to 17 per cent steep mountain road in Zurich. A smaller chasing group formed, led by Philipsen and Seixas.
Finn was caught again 37 kilometres before the finish. Seixas had to let the group around Philipsen go on a climb. Grindley was the first of the remaining leading quartet to break away on the final climb. Alvarez also had problems, but then Philipsen crashed in the following downhill bend. The race was over for him.
From then on, the Spaniard and Finn were alone at the front, but the teamwork didn't work at all, which is why Finn went solo again. There were still a good 20 kilometres to go. Shortly afterwards, Grindley was able to catch up with Alvarez again, but Finn already had a lead of more than a minute.
Alvarez completely collapsed in the last 15 kilometres and then had to let Grindley go, who crossed the finish line alone like the winner Finn. Behind them, a trio crossed the finish line together. Alongside Remijn and Ashlin Barry (USA), Fietzke was suddenly back in the medal race. And things looked good for the Cotbusser, who had already pulled out a bike length lead in the final metres. But just before the line, Remijn overtook him.
