We said it loud and clear, the Giro Next Gen 2025 wouldn’t be over until the very last kilometer. And so it was. Jakob Omrzel clinched the overall title and pulled on the Maglia Rosa by just 12 seconds over Luke Tuckwell, who lost the race lead in the most brutal way possible: on the final stage, by mere seconds.

The closing circuit in Pinerolo, tackled twice, was tailor-made for a final twist. The climb of Prarostino (2.5 km at a brutal 12.4%) was a true leg-breaker, and on the second ascent it turned into an all-out war. Every rider emptied the tank after eight grueling days of relentless racing, and with the first hour again raced at a blistering 54 km/h, it was the final 200 meters of the climb that made all the difference.

Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike Development) had already shown his legs on Prato Nevoso, and today he confirmed that form by detonating the GC group with a blistering acceleration. Initially, Omrzel, Tuckwell, and the ever-aggressive Pavel Novák (MBH Bank Ballan CSB) were able to hold his wheel. But a second surge just before the summit blew the group apart – dropping Novák, and more crucially, Tuckwell. Had the Australian crested the climb with the front duo, he would likely have won the race. Instead, a few meters of separation at the top quickly turned into a 20-second gap – and despite a desperate chase, there was no coming back.

Out front, Nordhagen powered on to take the stage win, while Omrzel sealed the overall title—his first ever victory in the U23 category. Not a bad way to break the ice.

Born in 2006, the Slovenian shares a passport with the rider currently dominating the sport. “This is incredible – a dream. But please, don’t compare me to Pogačar… there’s only one Tadej, and I’m certainly not him. I’m Jakob Omrzel, and I’ve got a career to build”. The first brick in that career is painted pink. Welcome to the big leagues, Jakob, we can’t wait to watch you grow.

Click here for the final rankings.