Fantastic back-to-back victory for Lorenzo Finn at the Sibiu Tour 2026. Just 24 hours after the success that allowed him to seize the yellow jersey, the young Ligurian rider from Red Bull BORA hansgrohe replicated his performance on the iconic uphill finish at Balea Lac where, after gaining an advantage alongside Byron Munton (Modern Adventure), Wout Poels (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Mark Donovan (Pinarello-Q36.5), he dropped everyone by accelerating in the final 800 meters.

The second consecutive triumph thus allowed the talented Italian rider to virtually seal the overall classification with just one stage remaining, given his 55-second advantage over the solid Munton, 1'46" over Donovan and, especially, considering the profile of the final stage is certainly not as challenging as the previous two.

THE RACE

In the opening kilometers, attacks and counterattacks follow one another without interruption, but no one manages to make a decisive difference by pulling away decisively. Thus, with a compact group situation, they reach the first intermediate sprint at Nocrich where Matias Malmberg (Swatt Club) beats Alin Toader (Romania) before Fabrice Levefre (Tartelletto-Isorex) and Anton Lenneman (BIKE AID) Patrick Welch (APS Pro Cycling by Team Cadence Cyclery) escape from the group, putting twenty seconds between themselves and the peloton. However, they are quickly caught by nine riders (including Oliveira and Baroncini from UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Manuel Oioli and Lorenzo Galimberti from Swatt Club) and subsequently by the rest of the group, which thus arrives at the second intermediate sprint won again by Malmberg.

However, the hostilities do not subside and immediately resume with Julius Johansen, Ivo Oliveira and Pablo Torres (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), Byron Munton (Modern Adventure), Pablo Carrascosa (Equipo Kern Pharma), Oded Kogut (NSN), Giacomo Garavaglia and Matias Malmberg (Swatt Club), Marcel Camprubí (Pinarello-Q36.5), Kamiel Bonneu and Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali), Miguel Heidemann and Ole Theiler (Rembe rad net), Gianni Marchand and Fabrice Levefre (Tartelletto-Isorex) and Marcus Shelton (Competitive Edge Racing). The group, having the second and third overall contenders within its ranks, immediately forces Finn's Red Bull team to start working hard to close the gap which, reaching 1'20", is progressively reduced by the yellow jersey team's riders who, in the following kilometers, successfully manage to bring back into the fold almost all components of the dangerous mid-stage breakaway. Oliveira and Camprubí indeed, attacking as a pair, continue to lead for quite some time and, passing first through the final intermediate sprint at Sambata Manastire, courageously fuel their attempt until the Spanish rider leaves the Portuguese rider's company on the opening slopes of the concluding climb, launching a solo attack.

Despite being supported by strong legs, the newly crowned Iberian champion cannot prevent the inevitable return of the peloton which, at 16 kilometers from the finish, neutralizes his daring attack with the joint acceleration of Munton and Finn. They are joined shortly after by Wout Poels (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Mark Donovan (Pinarello-Q36.5), thus forming a quartet that, especially thanks to the contribution of the South African and the Dutchman, constantly keeps the first chasing group at a distance, earning themselves the chance to fight for a victory that ultimately, with a clinical acceleration, falls to Lorenzo Finn. The Italian crosses the finish line solo with 13 seconds over Poels and Munton, 20" over Donovan, 40" over Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) and 1'22" over the only other Italian in the top ten, namely an excellent Walter Calzoni (Pinarello-Q36.5).

In the overall classification, Finn consolidates his lead over Munton, while in third position (thanks to today's difficulties for Pablo Torres) Donovan is threatened, who, barring unforeseen developments, will finish on the podium given his over twenty-second advantage over Poels (4th) and 56" over Sosa, fifth in the standings with 13 seconds over Tsarenko and 16" over Calzoni.

STAGE RESULTS

1. Lorenzo Mark Finn (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) 3:43:16

2. Wout Poels (Unibet Rose Rockets) at 0:13

3. Byron Munton (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) at 0:13

4. Mark Donovan (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) at 0:20

5. Iván Ramiro Sosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) at 0:40

6. Walter Calzoni (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) at 1:22

7. Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at 1:24

8. Jorge Gutiérrez (Equipo Kern Pharma) at 1:28

9. Adrià Pericas (Unibet Rose Rockets) at 1:32

10. Jannis Peter (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) at 1:34

OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

1. Lorenzo Finn Mark (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) 10:07:18

2. Byron Munton (Modern Adventure Pro Cycling) at 0:55

3. Mark Donovan (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) at 1:46

4. Wout Poels (Unibet Rose Rockets) at 2:07

5. Iván Ramiro Sosa (Equipo Kern Pharma) at 2:42

6. Kyrylo Tsarenko (Solution Tech NIPPO Rali) at 2:55

7. Walter Calzoni (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) at 2:58

8. Adrià Pericas (Unibet Rose Rockets) at 3:03

9. Jannis Peter (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) at 3:13

10. Pablo Torres (UAE Team Emirates - XRG) at 3:49

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points Classification: Matias Malmberg (Swatt Club)

King of the Mountains Classification: Lorenzo Finn Mark (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)

Best Young Rider Classification: Lorenzo Finn Mark (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)

Photo credit: Focus Photos Agency