U23

Lorenzo Finn: “Racing with all these champions is a dream”

Former U19 and U23 World Champion Lorenzo Finn lines up for his first Elite Road World Championships. In this interview, the Italian talks about tactics and why he chose not to defend his U23 jersey.

Written by RBH

3 min readPublished on 27.09.2026 · 10:08 UTC

Two years, two rainbow jerseys. In Zurich in 2024, Lorenzo Finn became junior world champion. Twelve months later in Kigali, he added the U23 title. On Sunday in Montréal, the 19-year-old faces a very different kind of test: the young Italian will line up for his first elite road race at a World Championship.

Finn arrives in form. This summer, he completed the double of Giro Next Gen and Tour de l'Avenir and became the first Italian to win the “U23 Tour de France” since Gianbattista Baronchelli in 1973. In Canada, he will be part of the Italian elite squad led by Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe rider Giulio Pellizzari. Waiting for them: 273.7 kilometres, 3,803 metres of climbing and twelve laps of the 13.4-kilometre Mount Royal circuit.

We spoke to Finn about the upcoming road race, why he chose not to defend his U23 jersey and the weight of expectation.

Lorenzo, how have the weeks since the Tour de l'Avenir gone?

Lorenzo Finn: The Tour de l'Avenir was, of course, amazing. Afterwards, I got a bit sick and took a break. Then I raced some Italian classics in Tuscany as training. They helped me to get the engine running again for Montreal.

How's your form now? Do you hope to be close to the level you had at the Giro Next Gen and the Avenir?

Lorenzo Finn: I'm feeling good now. Reaching that level again would be ideal, but the courses are different, and back then I'd come from an altitude camp and very targeted training. What you've built over a season stays with you, though. It doesn't vanish in two weeks. The foundations are there.

Finn won the Giro Next Gen and the Tour de l’Avenir in 2026.
© Maximilian Fries

At the start of the season, the plan was the U23 Worlds. When did the idea of racing with the pros come up?

Lorenzo Finn: A few days after the Sibiu Cycling Tour, I spoke with the Italian National team about this idea. They were fully on board. And the team supported my decision, too. From then on, it was clear.

Why not defend your U23 jersey?

Lorenzo Finn: After winning the U23 title last year, I felt that taking on a new challenge was the right step for my development. Racing for five or six hours against the best riders in the world is something I can learn a lot from. Of course, defending the U23 jersey would have been special, too.

Lorenzo Finn represents Italy in the World Championships Road Race
© Maximilian Fries

How does it feel to line up at your first World Championships with the pros?

Lorenzo Finn: Racing the elite World Championships is already quite something, isn't it? It's a dream to race against all these champions. For me, it's also the first time to ride a race over such a long distance. I hope to feel good. We're a strong team, and we'll definitely give it everything.

You have won two World titles in the U19 and U23, and you’ve won the Giro Next Gen and the Tour de l'Avenir. Do you feel a lot of pressure after these meaningful victories?

Lorenzo Finn: Actually, not too much. I really try to focus on myself, keep doing what I'm doing and keep developing step by step. I can't control what people say or expect, so I prefer to concentrate on my own path and see where it takes me.

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Lorenzo Finn

Lorenzo Finn impresses with an exceptional blend of race intelligence, explosive sprint power, and technical finesse.

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Lorenzo Finn: “Racing with all these champions is a dream”

Lorenzo Finn

Lorenzo Finn impresses with an exceptional blend of race intelligence, explosive sprint power, and technical finesse.

Lorenzo, how have the weeks since the Tour de l'Avenir gone?

How's your form now? Do you hope to be close to the level you had at the Giro Next Gen and the Avenir?

At the start of the season, the plan was the U23 Worlds. When did the idea of racing with the pros come up?

Why not defend your U23 jersey?

How does it feel to line up at your first World Championships with the pros?

You have won two World titles in the U19 and U23, and you’ve won the Giro Next Gen and the Tour de l'Avenir. Do you feel a lot of pressure after these meaningful victories?

Lorenzo Finn

Lorenzo Finn impresses with an exceptional blend of race intelligence, explosive sprint power, and technical finesse.

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