The 8.4 km time trial under the scorching sun of Rho couldn’t have suited anyone better than a strong and powerful rider. The profile of Matthias Schwarzbacher fits that description perfectly, and it’s no surprise that he’s the first rider to enter the winners’ list of this Giro Next Gen 2025.
Averaging 54.3 km/h, the Slovak didn’t just claim the first Maglia Rosa, he also set the fastest time trial performance in the history of the youth Giro. The rider from UAE Team Emirates GenZ – who continue to prove their eye for talent (Pogačar, Ayuso, Del Toro…) – stopped the clock at 9’17”, beating Matisse Van Kerckhove (Visma | Lease a Bike Development, 5th at 7″) by just one second and Callum Thornley (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies) by three.
Looking at all editions of the Giro d’Italia – not just the Next Gen, but also the main and women’s races – no Slovak rider had ever worn the Maglia Rosa before. Not even the country’s superstar Peter Sagan, who brought an entire generation of Slovaks (and beyond) into cycling through his victories, exploits, and iconic celebrations. “I started cycling thanks to Sagan’s kids’ race, the Detská Tour Petra Sagana. You could say he’s the reason I began, when he created that event for kids. I think he inspired a lot of us,” said Schwarzbacher, who, like Peter, first made a name for himself in cyclocross before moving to Italy three years ago to race with the CPS Professional Team.
“Today I would’ve been happy with a Top 10, so winning is really something special. I carefully listened to the advice from my teammates who rode the course before me, and that helped me gain the crucial tenths of a second to win”.
Among the big names, solid performances came from Albert Whiten Philipsen (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), finishing 4th at 6″, and Jørgen Nordaghen (Visma | Lease a Bike Development). Also holding their own were Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies) and the defending champion Jarno Widar (Lotto Development), who lost 15 and 19 seconds respectively—still within striking distance ahead of Tuesday’s Passo del Maniva stage, which will more clearly define these young riders’ ambitions.
