It is always complicated to draw up a hierarchy of favourites in an U23 stage race. Partly because so many riders are still undiscovered, while others, despite being known for their talent, lack the necessary experience in an 8-day race, and partly because there are not many stage races at U23 level as hard as the Giro Next Gen 2024.
In any case, Italy’s most important U23 cycling competition, and one of the most sought-after and prestigious in the world, will once again pit the WorldTour satellite teams against the best Italian squads, in a mix that promises to be a great spectacle. Results and talent in hand, Team Visma | Lease a Bike has a good chance to give continuity to the success achieved last year with Johannes Staune-Mittet. The Dutch team has a triptych of very promising climbers, with Darren Van Bekkum, Tijmen Graat, who have already done at least four stage races this year, with good results to boot, and the very talented Jørgen Nordaghen.
Then there are Mathys Rondel (Tudor), 11th at the Tour of the Alps with the pros and recent winner of the Orlen Nations GP, and Jarno Widar (Lotto Dstny), 2nd at the Ronde de l’Isard and winner of the Alpes Isère Tour. Speaking of Frenchmen, we can’t underestimate Léo Bisiaux, first year 3rd at the Peace Race, and Killian Verschuren, fourth year and 4th at the Alpes Isère Toure, both of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale.
The Italians, however, will not stand idly by, thus let’s watch out for Alessandro Pinarello and Matteo Scalco (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), who have also repeatedly competed with professionals, Ludovico Crescioli (Team Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna), Florian Samuel Kajamini (MBH Bank Colpack Ballan), Edoardo Zamperini (UC Trevigiani Energiapura Marchiol), well positioned almost everywhere this year, Luca Bagnara (Team Polti Kometa), winner a few days ago of the Volta a Portugal do Futuro, and Samuele Privitera (Hagens Berman Axeon).
Finally, in terms of the GC, Max Van der Meulen (CTF Victorious), the Colombians Diego Pescador and Jefferson Ruiz (GW Erco-Shimano), and then again the winner of the Trofeo Piva Pavel Novak (MBH Bank Colpack Ballan) should be kept an eye on, as well as Gal Glivar (UAE Team Emirates GenZ), Milan Donie (Lotto Dstny), Huub Artz (Wanty-ReUz-Technord) and Ilkhan Dostiyev (Astana Qazaqstan), 2nd at the Tour du Rwanda.
Great spectacle awaits us in the faster stages as well, with Paul Magnier (Soudal-QuickStep) expected to be the main protagonist following his early-season victories in the pro peloton. The Frenchman could be aiming for the sprinter’s stages, but also for the slightly rougher ones. In the former he will have to contend with Daniel Skerl (CTF Victorious), Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Noa Isidore, Rasmus Pedersen (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) and Kasper Andersen (Hagens Berman Axeon), while in the others, watch out for Alessandro Romele (Astana Qazaqstan), Niccolò Arrighetti (Biesse-Carrera), Lorenzo Conforti (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Kristian Egholm (Lidl-Trek) and Simone Gualdi (Wanty-ReUz-Technord). For the opening time trial and likely first Maglia Rosa, however, there is one name above all, that of the Swede Jakob Söderqvist (Lidl-Trek), winner of the Tour de Bretagne. Against the clock, however, let’s not underestimate Fabian Weiss and Aivaras Mikutis (Tudor).
Click here to discover all the riders who will participate in the Giro Next Gen.
