Soudal - Quick-Step wonderkid Paul Magnier "looking forward to seeing what a Grand Tour is like" on Giro d'Italia debut

Paul Magnier has been turning heads in 2025, adding a stage of the Etoile de Besseges to his palmares, and coming close to more with podiums at the likes of the Figueira Champions Classic, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn. All this has earned the 21-year-old Frenchman a highly anticipated Grand Tour debut at the upcoming Giro d'Italia.

“I’m really excited. First, I recovered well from the Classics, and then I was able to prepare perfectly for the Giro at home. We have a strong team, with Mikel Landa going for the GC and plenty of experienced guys,” previewed Magnier in conversation with IDL Pro Cycling ahead of his widely expected Giro debut, although official confirmation of the Soudal - Quick-Step lineup hasn't arrived as of yet.

Unlike many ahead of a Grand Tour, Magnier has made the decision to skip any altitude training. Instead, the 21-year-old has come up with a different plan to make his Giro debut a success. “I didn’t go to altitude, because I believe that we already spent enough time at training camps in the winter and ahead of the Classics," he explains. "I wanted to train at home, also because mental recovery is very important. And I think that was definitely the right choice. I feel good and I’m mainly looking forward to seeing what a Grand Tour is like and what I can achieve in one.”

Touted as the next Tom Boonen by those within his own team, it's fair to say that expectations are high for Magnier in his career. Whether or not he'll be able to immediately impress on his Grand Tour debut remains to be seen however. “My lead-out includes Ethan Hayter and Luke Lamperti. They’re fast, strong guys, so I’m really happy with that,” says Magnier confidently though, eyeing a potential spell in the Maglia Rosa with a stage 1 win. “The competition is really strong, but it’s something I have to try. Last year I wore the pink jersey in the Baby Giro, and I’d love to wear it one day in the ‘real’ Giro. If not this year, then another time.”

As for fighting for the Maglia Ciclamino, Magnier is a little less certain, as he's not convinced finishing the Giro is in his best interests. "Whether I finish the Giro, we don’t know yet," he concludes honestly. "That partly depends on how things go, especially because the final week is very tough. We’ll decide that when the time comes.”