The Giro Next Gen will once again be a gathering of rising stars. The top favorites for the 2025 edition – the third organized by RCS Sport – already have their futures mapped out, with most under contract with major WorldTour teams. But these eight days of racing through Lombardy, Emilia, and Piedmont offer the perfect opportunity to see them in action in a high-profile setting, under the first hints of pressure.
Jarno Widar (Lotto Development), after his brilliant overall victory last year with two stage wins, has not yet officially made the leap to the professional ranks – he will in 2026 – but has continued to win and showcase his talent widely. Following the Maglia Rosa in 2024, he won the Giro della Valle d’Aosta. This season, he placed 2nd at the Circuit des Ardennes and then claimed victories at Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23, the Flèche Ardennaise, and the Ronde de l’Isard.
Challenging him will be two athletes who have been making waves for some time. First, Albert Whiten Philipsen (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), junior world champion in cross-country, is already a professional and has impressed even among the elites. He won the best young rider jersey at the WorldTour Tour Down Under, finished 3rd at the Tour of Hungary, and took victory at Paris-Roubaix Espoirs. His climbing ability on big mountains is still somewhat unproven, but he won’t be a mere support rider. Second, there’s Lorenzo Mark Finn (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies), junior world champion last year, who’s already flying in 2025 with a win at the Giro del Belvedere and runner-up spots at Palio del Recioto and the Flèche Ardennaise. A pure talent, he’s Italy’s top prospect for climbing and stage races.
Another strong contender is Jørgen Nordaghen (Visma | Lease a Bike Development), born in 2005, already a pro, and racing among the U23s for the first time this year after showcasing himself in elite races like the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of Norway. Last year, his Giro Next Gen ended prematurely due to illness after four stages, but this time everything seems lined up for a big week. Also returning is Spaniard Pau Martí (Israel Premier Tech Academy), 3rd last year and recent winner of the Nations Cup in the Czech Republic—where Simone Gualdi (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz) finished 3rd, another rider who has grown significantly and is ready for a great Giro.
Another first-year rider to watch is Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious Development), who placed 4th at the professional-level Tour of Slovenia, as well as Adrià Pericas (UAE Team Emirates GenZ). Also hoping to shine are Filippo Turconi, winner of the Trofeo Piva, Luca Paletti and Matteo Scalco (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), along with Mattia Negrente (XDS Astana Development), though he may be more inclined to target stage victories.
Looking at the general classification, keep an eye on Czech rider Pavel Novák (MBH Bank Ballan Csb), 5th last year, Viktor Soenens (Soudal-QuickStep Devo), Irishman Liam O’Brien (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), Mexican Cesar Macias (Petrolike), Frenchmen Maxime Decomble (Groupama-FDJ) and Aubine Sparfel (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Devo), Belgian Milan Donie (Lotto Development), who often works in support of Widar, and perhaps even Lorenzo Masciarelli, Lorenzo Nespoli (MBH Bank Ballan Csb), best climber last year, and Alessandro Cattani (Technipes #inEmiliaRomagna).
There’s also a long list of riders vying for stage wins: Noah Hobbs (EF Education-Aevolo), the cycling legacy duo Matteo Milan (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) and Felix-Ørn Kristoff (Wanty-Nippo-ReUz), as well as Alessandro Borgo (Bahrain Victorious Development), New Zealander Lewis Bower (Groupama-FDJ), Lorenzo Conforti (VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè), Luca Giaimi (UAE Team Emirates GenZ), Christian Fantini (Solme-Olmo), Gabriele Bessega (Biesse-Carrera-Premac), Samuele Privitera (Hagens Berman Jayco), Federico Savino, and Jonathan Vervenne (Lidl-Trek Future Racing).
