There were no particular difficulties for Lorenzo Finn in completing the brilliant work accomplished over the first three stages of the Sibiu Tour and thus, after crossing the finish line of the concluding stage, stepping onto the highest step of the podium of the Romanian race to wear a dazzling collection of jerseys.

With a ritual not unlike that of fashion shows, the young Ligurian rider from Red Bull BORA hansgrohe "paraded" on the stage set up in Plata Mare to display, one after another, the yellow jersey as the overall leader, the white jersey as the best climber, the blue polka dot jersey as the best young rider of this edition, and the orange jersey of the combined classification.

Adding to these the blue jersey of the points classification and the white-purple and yellow-black jerseys (for the two partial victories) already worn and packed away, Finn in these days has virtually composed on himself a rainbow of colors not too different (though perhaps a bit more striking) from the one that, in competitions of his category, he wears as the reigning Under 23 World Champion, a title that next September he will attempt to defend in Canada, relying also on the confidence and results gained in these recent happy days of racing in Transylvania.

"I'm super happy to have won on the two uphill finishes of this race where I had good sensations and achieved my first two professional victories" the Italian rider declared to our microphones. "Breaking through at this level has always been a dream and it's beautiful to have managed it. The conquest of the general classification? I hope it's the first of many, for now I'm enjoying this one with the whole team"

This performance, however, in addition to guaranteeing him another useful dose of serenity and confidence, has also allowed Finn to write some new brilliant records and chapters of the race that marked his first professional victories of his career. Thanks to his victories on the climbs of Paltinis and Balea Lac (which then led to the one achieved in the final standings), the nineteen-year-old from Avegno became the youngest stage winner and the youngest overall leader in the history of the event, brought Italy back to celebrate on the roads of this .1 race (the last to win a stage was Giacomo Nizzolo in 2024), and, above all, planted the sixth Italian flag in the honor roll of the race in sixteen editions contested.

After Alessio Marchetti (following the disqualification of Bulgarian Vladimir Koev) in 2011, the late Davide Rebellin in 2013, Mauro Finetto in 2015, and for two consecutive years, Giovanni Aleotti (today his teammate at Red Bull) in 2021 and 2022, Finn became the sixth Italian to triumph at the Sibiu Tour, reaffirming once again, also thanks to his two partial victories that brought the total of stages won by Italian riders to 21, how the Romanian race is particularly favorable to our national colors.

However, it was not only Italian enthusiasts and statistics lovers who celebrated, but also Red Bull BORA hansgrohe which, thanks to the class of 2006 rider, secured its fifth overall victory at the Sibiu Tour and, with 14 stage wins, confirmed itself as the historically most successful team at these latitudes. Whether it be the men of his team, the Italian public, or the organizers of the Sibiu Tour (enthusiastic about the achievements of the young Ligurian), many in the end owe a "thank you" to Finn for what he accomplished in this early July in Eastern Europe.

To hear the full statements that Lorenzo gave us about the Sibiu Tour, the Giro Next Gen won in June, his upcoming appointments, and the future that awaits him, we refer you to the episode of our Bla Bla Bike podcast coming out next week.

Photo credit: Focus Photos Agency