Along with the Tour de l’Avenir, the Giro Next Gen is the most important race on the Under 23 calendar. Known worldwide as the “Baby Giro”, the eight-day pink race is a true breeding ground for tomorrow's champions, organized in the wake of the senior Giro d’Italia. For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies, the race therefore represents one of the season's flagship events and the German team arrives in Italy in high spirits, with reigning Under 23 world champion Lorenzo Finn among the favorites for the podium.

This year's route leaves no room for error. Eight stages cover 1,093 kilometers with 15,150 meters of elevation gain, crossing southern and central Italy before finishing in Abruzzo. The early stages favor the sprinters, but the general classification will be decided in the grueling second half, rich in mountain stages and a final time trial. The young riders know well how thin the margins can be: twelve months ago, debutant Luke Tuckwell, who now races for WorldTeam Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe, wore the Maglia Rosa for several days, missing the final victory by just 12 seconds.

This year, Lorenzo Finn presents himself as one of the men to beat. After his crash at the Tour of the Alps, the Italian talent recovered quickly. Finn, the reigning Under 23 world champion, is ready to bring the rainbow jersey back to racing. Alongside him, Gustave Blanc (France), Max Bock (Germany), Davide Donati (Italy), Paul Fietzke (Germany) and Gijs Schoonvelde (Netherlands) complete a versatile squad of six riders, with options for sprints, breakaways and climbs.

«The Giro Next Gen is a special race and starting here with the rainbow jersey means a lot to me. After the Tour of the Alps, my recovery has gone very well: the doctors and the team did an excellent job getting me back on the bike. My legs feel good again and I can't wait to race. We have a strong team and a clear objective» explains the world champion Lorenzo Finn clearly.

And Tim Meeusen, Development Director of the German team, adds: «The Giro Next Gen is one of the most important stage races on the Under 23 calendar, so of course we arrive with ambition. However, we must also admit that Lorenzo's preparation hasn't been ideal because of his crash. He's still one of the podium candidates and after his quick recovery we're delighted to have him at the start. But this is a team effort that lasts eight days: Davide, Paul, Max, Gijs and Gustave all have a role to play. We saw last year with Luke how close we can get. The whole team is motivated and we're heading to Italy in high spirits».