U23
Tour de l'Avenir: Lorenzo Finn leads the Rookies at the U23 Tour de France
From 20 to 26 August, the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies will compete in the Tour de l’Avenir. Lorenzo Finn, the reigning U23 World Champion and Giro Next Gen winner, leads the line-up.
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No other stage race in youth cycling carries this kind of weight. For decades, the Tour de l'Avenir has been known as the Tour de France of U23 cycling, and it has regularly marked the beginning of major careers. This year brings a structural change as well: alongside the national squads, development teams are eligible to start for the first time. For the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies, it is a debut at arguably the most prestigious stage race of the season.
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A WorldTour-level programme
The demands are considerable. Seven stages, 926.2 kilometres and 13,532 metres of climbing take the race from the French coast into the Alps. The start is in Normandy for the first time, in Ouistreham-Riva-Bella on Sword Beach, where Allied troops landed on 6 June 1944. From there the route heads east via the Loire, the Sologne and Burgundy, before three Alpine stages settle the general classification: first a mountain time trial from Les Carroz to Flaine over the Col de la Pierre Carrée with a gravel finale, then the queen stage up to the Col de l'Iseran (2,764 metres) with 4,945 metres of elevation gain, before the race finishes in Italy at Lago Serrù above Ceresole Reale.
Lorenzo Finn with his Giro Next Gen trophy
© Twila Federica Muzzi
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A strong line-up
The Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies line-up is led by Lorenzo Finn. For the young Italian, the Tour de l'Avenir is the highlight of a season in which he has repeatedly turned his status as U23 World Champion into results – including the overall win at the Giro Next Gen. Finn is backed by a strong and versatile squad: Davide Donati (Italy), Paul Fietzke (Germany), Gustave Blanc (France), Noah Lindholm Møller Andersen (Denmark) and Michiel Mouris (Netherlands) complete the Rookies' six-man team.
The Tour de l'Avenir is the race I’ve been building towards all summer.
“The Tour de l'Avenir is the race I’ve been building towards all summer,” says Lorenzo Finn. “The profile suits me, especially those last three days in the Alps. I’m coming here to fight for the overall win, but I also know this race is long and unpredictable. We’ve got a strong squad here, and I hope we can make the difference across the seven days.”
The first part, with the stage of more than 230 kilometres to Saint-Vallier, demands full concentration, and after that the Alps decide it.
“In Lorenzo we have a rider who is among the favourites for this race, and we're happy to say that openly,” says Tim Meeusen, Director of Development. “At the same time, the Tour de l'Avenir is a race you can only win together. The first part, with the stage of more than 230 kilometres to Saint-Vallier, demands full concentration, and after that the Alps decide it. Being here as a development team for the first time is a big step for our project. We're prepared and we’re looking forward to it.”
Davide Donati wins stage 2 of the Giro Next Gen 2026.
© Twila Federica Muzzi
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The stages of the 2026 Tour de l’Avenir
- Wed 19 Aug | Team presentation, Caen la Mer – Ouistreham Riva-Bella
- Thu 20 Aug | Stage 1: Ouistreham Riva-Bella – Argentan, 151.9 kilometres
- Fri, 21 Aug | Stage 2: Nogent-le-Rotrou – Amboise, 116.3 kilometres
- Sat 22 Aug | Stage 3: Vierzon – Saint-Vallier, 232 kilometres
- Sun 23 Aug | Stage 4: Saint-Vallier – Semur-en-Auxois, 131 kilometres
- Mon, 24 Aug | Stage 5 (individual time trial): Les Carroz – Flaine, 16 kilometres
- Tue 25 Aug | Stage 6: Châtillon-sur-Cluses – Val d’Isère, Col de l’Iseran, 149 kilometres
- Wed 26 Aug | Stage 7: Strambino – Ceresole Reale, Lago Serrù, 130 kilometres
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