Lorenzo Mark Finn's triumph at the Tour de l'Avenir is steeped in history, as it puts Italy back on the top step of the podium for the first time in over fifty years, since 1973. The weight of the Ligurian talent's success is measured by the words of federation president Cordiano Dagnoni: "Lorenzo Mark Finn's success at the Tour de l'Avenir is among the most technically important results of my mandate as president, considering that Italian cycling has been without such a victory for over fifty years. Finn, beyond being a great champion, is also an example of the seriousness with which he prepares for competitions and faces a sport that, at these levels, demands sacrifice, dedication and professionalism. I am certain he will bring us great satisfaction among the professionals as well.
However, I want to emphasize that we are not dealing with an isolated talent. At this Tour, the Italians were major protagonists with Thomas Capra, leader of the points classification, and Davide Stella who won the third stage. More broadly, in recent years the entire Italian youth movement has come to the fore, confirming an overall growth that perhaps does not always receive the media coverage it deserves. The results achieved in the Junior and Under 23 categories place us at the top of the UCI rankings and testify to the quality of the work carried out by teams, coaches and federation structures.
Finn is the tip of a movement in which many young riders of great value are emerging, ready to join our young professionals in the group that are already making their mark, such as Magagnotti, Pellizzari and Piganzoli. We have become an established reality and can look with great confidence to the future of Italian road cycling and, more broadly, to that of other disciplines".