"Maybe one day, when Pogacar has decided to retire..." - Red Bull's star teenager dreams of winning Roubaix and Sanremo
Cycling
Alessio Magagnotti will be among the very few 2007-born cyclists competing at WorldTour level in 2027. The Italian sprinter was not initially projected for a WorldTour promotion with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, but his performances were convincing enough for the plan to be quickly adjusted and so, Magagnotti can already look forward to participating in world's biggest races in near future.
Magagnotti launched onto the professional scene like a rocket. In his very first start of 2026 as a 'stagiare' from Rookies team, Magagnotti podiumed the Trofeo Palma (1.1).
Magagnotti then continued by winning three stages at 2.2 level before he finally announced his arrival onto the stage with 4th at Classique Dunkerque (1.Pro), 2nd in a stage of Boucles de la Mayenne, and finally his masterpiece; a stage won at the Lidl Deutschland Tour, surpassing Paul Magnier in the process. To round off his season, Magagnotti finished second in a ZLM Tour stage marked by echelons, displaying a new quality of his.
"I've already had the opportunity to race a lot with the pros, so experience-wise, it won't be such a radical change," Magagnotti evaluates how big of a step will the WorldTour promotion be in an interview with SportTrentino.
"However, there will be a different calendar and even higher-quality races. I know a challenging path lies ahead, and I definitely don't think I've reached the finish line. I still have a lot to learn and prove."
Alessio Magagnotti in action at the 2026 Boucles de la Mayenne time trial
Special jersey
In his season analysis, Magagnotti looks back at the victory in Germany with a sense of pride: "Winning the stage at the Deutschland Tour, sprinting ahead of Paul Magnier, was definitely a significant achievement and a great satisfaction."
But is quick to mention another core memory from the past season:
"The moment I put on the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe jersey for the first time brought out the strongest emotion. It was special: those were images I'd only seen on television until recently. Finding myself wearing that uniform, knowing that from that moment on it would also be my team, had a certain effect on me. I hadn't bought that jersey in a store; it was mine; I'd earned it on the road."
Eyes on (track) gold medals
Beyond a talented road sprinter, Magagnotti is also a decorated track cyclist. Magagnotti already celebrated two World and European titles in the junior categories - three of them alongside the feared Italian team pursuit team - and now, alongside superstars Filippo Ganna and Jonathan Milan, Magagnotti aims to bring gold medals in elite category to his collection as well. This ambition naturally includes the most prized - Olympic - gold medal.
"The intention is to continue pursuing both activities. The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are a big goal: I'd love to be able to live an experience like that. It's an interesting project, but also a lot of work to do to get there. The Olympics are every athlete's dream, and I'm certainly not lacking in motivation."
Not afraid of the Monuments
As a 19-year-old neo-pro, Magagnotti can largely expect to compete in a similar types of competitions he did in 2026, but with a few extra twists. Magagnotti does not hide his intention to discover the cobbled classics culminating at the Hell of the North. And as every Italian fast man he dreams of winning La Primavera.
"Roubaix is definitely one of my dream races. For 2027, I could start gaining experience in some smaller classics, like Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne and Le Samyn. It would be an important step to gain confidence in this type of race," Magagnotti outlines.
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At the moment, Milano-Sanremo has become more of a puncheurs' race, but sprinters have succeeded there in the past, and Magagnotti hopes a shift in this direction would allow him to raise his hands in Sanremo. "Looking ahead, I'd also really like Milano-Sanremo, because I think it suits my characteristics. Maybe one day, when Pogacar has decided to retire...," he concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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Rafionain-Glas13-11-2026 - When Thomas gets the bullet from INEOS he can get a job as a comedian.
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