LeMond, Evenepoel, Van der Poel, Mohoric and now Lorenzo Finn! 18-year-old Italian joins elite company with U23 world title win in Kigali
Cycling
On a searing Friday afternoon in Kigali, Rwanda, Lorenzo Finn didn’t just cross the finish line first in the men's U23 road race — he crossed a threshold into cycling history.
The 18-year-old phenomenon from Italy backed up his junior world title from Zurich last year with a stunning solo victory in the U23 men’s road race at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships. In doing so, he became just the fifth male rider in history to win world titles across multiple age categories — a rarefied group that, according to Cycling Statistics on X, includes only Greg LeMond, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel, and Matej Mohoric.
Elite Company
Only four riders before Finn have stood atop the World Championship podium more than once in different age brackets — and their names read like a roll call of modern cycling royalty:
- 🇺🇸 Greg LeMond – Junior world champion in 1979, elite titles in 1983 and 1989.
- 🇧🇪 Remco Evenepoel – Junior title in 2018, elite rainbow jersey in 2022.
- 🇳🇱 Mathieu van der Poel – Junior world champion in 2013, elite road race title in 2023.
- 🇸🇮 Matej Mohorič – Back-to-back wins in the juniors (2012) and U23 (2013) categories.
Now, alongside them: 🇮🇹 Lorenzo Finn (2024, 2025).
While the likes of Evenepoel and Van der Poel skipped U23 racing entirely, jumping straight into the elite ranks, Finn has chosen a more traditional path — and dominated it. His win in Kigali at just 18 years old only underlines how far ahead of the curve he already is.
Finn took the junior title in Zurich last year
Kigali: A Race of Attrition
This wasn’t just any U23 race — this was the first-ever Road World Championships held on African soil. Kigali delivered a brutal, technical course that quickly turned the race into a war of attrition.
The decisive moment came atop the Côte de Kimihurura, one of the course’s punchiest ramps. Finn launched clear from the lead group, immediately opening a gap. Only Switzerland’s Jan Huber could follow. With 6.5km to go, Finn made the call. He attacked again — hard — and this time Huber couldn’t follow. From there, the Italian powered away alone, never looking back.
Who Is Lorenzo Finn?
To cycling insiders, Finn’s name has been underlined in red since 2024, when he claimed the junior world title in Zurich with a devastating late attack.
Now riding for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s development team, Finn has combined tactical maturity with explosive climbing talent — a rare blend. His progression from junior to U23 dominance in the span of 12 months is not just impressive — it's historic.
At just 18, he has already held rainbow jerseys in two age categories.
Finn in action for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
The Road Ahead
Could Finn be the next Remco? The next Van der Poel? Time will tell. But based on the evidence in Kigali, the trajectory is clear. He has the engine, the racing IQ, and the big-race temperament — and he’s already being moulded within one of the most ambitious development structures in the pro peloton.
In Kigali — where the world watched Africa host its first ever road Worlds — Lorenzo Finn seized the moment. Amid the heat, the altitude, and the drama, he didn’t just win a bike race. He did something only some of the sports greatest of all time have ever managed.
📊🏆🌈World Champions (Men Road Race) in multiple age-categories:
— Cycling Statistics 📊 (@StatsOnCycling) September 26, 2025
👶MJ+👦MU
🇸🇮Matej Mohorič (2012/2013)
🇮🇹Lorenzo Finn (2024/2025)
👶MJ+👨ME
🇺🇸Greg LeMond (1979/1983+89)
🇧🇪Remco Evenepoel (2018/2022)
🇳🇱Mathieu van der Poel (2013/2023)
👦MU+👨ME
❌
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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