"His agent will have a lot of phone calls" - Giro d'Italia U23 winner Leo Hayter becomes major target for World Tour teams
Cycling
Hagens Berman Axeon's Leo Hayter was this weekend crowned the winner of the Giro d'Italia Under 23 with a remarkable race. Ethan Hayter's brother was no unknown, having an U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège win in his palmarès already, however this past week his value has increased exponentially after a dominant win in one of the most important events for under-23 riders.
“I don’t have many words to be honest. I didn’t expect it and it’s a privilege to wear and keep the maglia rosa. I was actually a reserve rider and I was hoping to win a stage, I did that, and I exceeded my expectations so I’m really pleased," the Briton said at the end of the race. Hayter won the race with 2:12 minutes over Lennert Van Eetvelt and 4:55 minutes over Lenny Martínez, a win built on his two stage wins on stages two and three.
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Stage three most noticeably, saw him take almost five minutes to his closest competitor, in the time span of only approximately 30 false-flat kilometers. After he had been distanced by Lenny Martínez in the main climb of the day, he reeled back several minutes and put on a dominating performance that is rarely seen in any rank of the sport. Throughout the rest of the race, the time won on those two stages was enough to keep his calm and collected in the pink jersey, which he confirmed this Saturday in Pinerolo.
Team DS Axel Merckx has also commented that “after yesterday who wouldn’t want him? Winning two stages in the Giro, and the way he won them. I think his agent will have a lot of phone calls." With 20 years of age and no contract yet for 2023, Hayter is set to be one of the most disputed riders in the World Tour surely for the upcoming transfer season.
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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- He was a child two years ago
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at it
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del Belvedere
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
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Yes @leohayter, you made it! #girogiovani2022 #giroditaliau23
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