Flavio, that young talent who learned to pedal on the roads of the Castelli Romani, wears the noble jersey of the Luxembourg national team and when you mention the Schleck brothers to him (to go back to Gaul he has to rely on cycling history books) you can sense how much admiration he has for Andy and Frank.

On Friday, the under-23 race in Montreal will feature on its start list the 18-year-old Astolfi, a son of a cycling family who has lived in Luxembourg since 2020, just a few months before Covid. Flavio, the son of former professional Claudio, has shaped his cycling career trajectory around his family's choices: "Six years ago my father (now a mechanic for a bicycle shop chain, ed.) decided to leave Lariano Romano and join my grandmother who had put down roots in Luxembourg 25 years earlier. The bike, not just because of dad's background, became a natural way for me to adapt to a new context, as I was just entering the youth category. Above all, alongside school, the racing world helped me integrate, bringing me from the start, given the particular geography of the nation, to race in Belgium, France, and even Germany. Yes, for me, also because of my Italian origins and my membership in an amateur team based in Abruzzo (the talent factory Aran Vejus, ed.) cycling offers a naturally international dimension and as a junior I raced with Jegg-DJR Academy, linked to Jumbo Visma".

Speaking with real knowledge, this cyclist who turned eighteen on December 25, 2025, is definitely young but motivated by the dream of one day reaching the ranks of the "Professionals", that professional cycling experienced by the 48-year-old Claudio Astolfi, between 2001 and 2005, with the colors of Cantina Tollo Acqua e Sapone, Domina Vacanze, Acqua&Sapone Caffè Mokambo and Acqua&Sapone Adria Mobil.

«People tell me that my father was able to make a difference among amateurs; a parent like that, from a cycling development perspective, is a point of reference, full of advice yet not intrusive, especially since he also has to follow my little brother Lorenzo more closely, who at just 15 years old has already won races in Italy. So he has to divide his attention, knowing that I have my own calendar between Aran Vejus and the National team».

For the Abruzzo-based team, the squad that launched Hindley but also Einer Rubio, the option of signing a Luxembourger with an Italian surname has a backstory: Claudio Astolfi himself actually wore the colors of the historic team run by the dynamic Umbertone Di Giuseppe.

«With the Luxembourg national selection I've been able to enjoy some opportunities offered by the international calendar. I think I've made good use of them, given the stage victory I achieved in the Czech Republic in early September 2026. I also finished that Okolo jižních Čech / Tour of South Bohemia in fifth place, after also wearing the leader's symbol. I could have started in the Tour of Luxembourg, won by Piganzoli, but wisely the coaches preferred to preserve me for the Canadian world championships» he recounts after a training session outside Montreal, waiting for the course reconnaissance without the obstacle of vehicle traffic.

Flavio, an online student at a French high school, will sprint for his diploma in 2027, doesn't like the cold but has learned to live with it, in his free time he enjoys some rest, cultivating friendships, perhaps following his little brother in his activity as a junior rider. Grown up inspired by the model of Vincenzo Nibali («currently I'm crazy about Mathieu Van der Poel and how can you not like Pogacar?»), Astolfi describes himself: «I feel like a rider with good explosiveness, I'm strong on short climbs and I have solid endurance abilities refined also in time trials, which is one of my specialties».

He's right, because after winning the national junior time trial title in 2025, he followed it up with the under-23 title in 2026. With a substantial addition, having also become Luxembourg road race champion. The world championship calls: «I want to experience it with all my senses open, the opportunity to race at these levels drives me, without being crushed by the weight of too much responsibility. My previous world championship participation was in Zurich, but this transatlantic trip has a special flavor». Safe travels, young man.