Giro d'Italia for young riders: Giro Next Gen: casting show for the next Tour star

Like the Tour de l'Avenir in France, also known as the Tour de France for young riders, the race in Italy is reserved for riders in the U23 age group. The next edition of the Giro Next Gen will take place on 15 June 2025 and will cover more than 1,000 kilometres to the finish in Pinerolo. There will be an individual time trial and two mountain finishes along the way. 33 teams with five riders each will take part. The event is steeped in tradition: the list of winners includes names such as Francesco Moser, Marco Pantani, Thomas Pidcock and Juan Ayuso, all of whom went on to become successful professionals. "This race is really important for young riders because it gives them the chance to show themselves and gain recognition," says Briton Pidcock, who won the race in 2020. His successor as overall winner, Juan Ayuso from Spain, agrees: "The Giro Next Gen was a race that helped me to develop and realise that I could become a professional. It was a starting point for me."

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One individual time trial, two mountain finishes

The contenders to succeed the two stars will start in Rho in 2025 with a flat, eleven-kilometre individual time trial. The overall classification is expected to be decided in the two mountain finishes at Passo del Maniva (stage 3) and Prato Nevoso (stage 7). The tour will remain in northern Italy for all eight stages and finish on a circuit around Pinerolo on 22 June. Mauro Vegni, race director of the Giro for both young riders and professionals, says: "Every stage offers an opportunity to excel. The terrain is perfect for discovering the future champions."

Who has what it takes to win? "Among the contenders, the 2024 winner is Jarno Widar, but the race is very open," emphasises Vegni, "but there are other contenders such as the Norwegian talent Jørgen Nordhagen and Junior World Champion Lorenzo Finn. We believe that these young riders can succeed stars like Juan Ayuso and Tom Pidcock." Alongside Widar's racing team Lotto Development, Nordhagen's Visma-Lease a bike Development and the Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe rookies around Finn, the starting list also includes the German team Lotto-Kern Haus-PSD Bank.

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Giro Next Gen: The stages at a glance

Total distance: 1,054 km