Italians at the Tour de l'Avenir? In the beginning, at the inaugural 1961 edition, the final victory went to Guido De Rosso from Farra di Soligo, who won two stages (Aix and Superbagnères) and managed to leave behind Spaniard Francisco Gabica and Belgian Albert Huynslager, respectively second and third.

Just three years after the Venetian's achievement, the Italian tricolor returned to wave: the yellow jersey on the shoulders of a certain Felice Gimondi, still just twenty-one years old in that July 1964 which gave him first place in the general classification. Only 12 months would pass between July 13th when the Bergamo champion claimed final victory at the Tour de l'Avenir and the historic July 14th, 1965 on the Champs-Élysées, the triumphant conclusion of the time trial from Versailles to the French capital.

Well, if Bernal and Pogacar took two seasons to repeat the Avenir-Grand Tour double, the close and virtuous connection between the two races in question found a clear representation thanks to Gimondi. The latter, moreover, was not alone as an Italian in the top ten of the 1965 Tour de France, because on the podium, third place went to Gianni Motta, while seventh came the aforementioned De Rosso.

And here we are at the 1973 edition, when we thought we were well accustomed to success (three Italian victories at the Avenir in 12 years), and yet, after Gianbattista Baronchelli's yellow jersey, a long drought would begin that persists to this day.

One more reason for Lorenzo Finn, who with fourth place in the 2026 edition won by Seixas has shown his credentials. Returning to Baronchelli, the surname appears in the finishing orders of the Young Riders' Tour, also thanks to first place in the time trial from Unax to Ax-Les-Thermes, when the standings began to take shape. Second that day and at the end of the Avenir was Austrian Steinmayr, third under the Eiffel Tower was Frenchman Bourreau. July 22nd, 1973 was a double celebration because Gibì wore the symbol of supremacy, while his brother Gaetano finished an excellent third from Versailles to Paris. In the road race and not in the time trial, but it was a nod to Gimondi.

In recent times, the double podium finish of Giulio Pellizzari (2nd) and Davide Piganzoli (3rd) in 2023 with Isaac Del Toro's victory was much more than a warm-up compared to what can hopefully be completed by Finn. Good lads, Italians back then and wearing their respective team jerseys now. But the substance doesn't change.