From August 20 to 26, the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies will line up for the 62nd edition of the Tour de l'Avenir. Lorenzo Finn, the reigning U23 world champion and winner of the Giro Next Gen, arrives at the race as the team's undisputed leader.

No other stage race in youth cycling carries comparable weight. For decades, the Tour de l'Avenir has been considered the Tour de France of U23 riders and has served as a springboard for numerous great careers. This year, moreover, brings a structural innovation: for the first time, alongside national teams, development squads will also be able to compete. For Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies, it will therefore be their debut in the season's most prestigious stage race.

The challenges will be considerable. Seven stages, 926.2 kilometers and 13,532 meters of elevation gain will take the race from the French coast to the Alps. For the first time, the start will be in Normandy, at Ouistreham-Riva-Bella, on Sword Beach, where Allied troops landed on June 6, 1944.

From there, the route will head east across the Loire, Sologne and Burgundy, before three Alpine stages decide the general classification: first a climbing time trial from Les Carroz to Flaine, with the passage over Col de la Pierre Carrée and a gravel finish; then the queen stage with the finish on Col de l'Iseran, at 2,764 meters altitude, and 4,945 meters of elevation gain; finally, the race will conclude in Italy, at Lago Serrù, above Ceresole Reale.

The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies lineup will be led by Lorenzo Finn. For the young Italian, the Tour de l'Avenir represents the highlight of a season in which he has repeatedly transformed his U23 world champion title into prestigious results, including victory in the overall classification of the Giro Next Gen. Finn will be able to count on a strong and complete team: completing the six-man roster will be Davide Donati, Paul Fietzke, Gustave Blanc, Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen and Michiel Mouris