"There's still room for improvement" - Lorenzo Fortunato ready to take GC challenge at Giro d'Italia

At 29 years of age, Lorenzo Fortunato has had a more traditional rise through the world of cycling and continues to improve every year. The Italian climber has reached his best ever level in 2025 and will continue to aim higher in the World Tour, and next season he is pointing towards the general classification of the Giro d'Italia.

The Corsa Rose is the race where the Italian broke through in 2021, taking a win on the mythical Monte Zoncolan after joning the day's breakaway. Until today that remains his biggest win, but it is by no means his only one. This season he has achieved several high quality results, but the highlight was without a doubt the maglia azurra at the Giro, which he achieved rather comfortably after beginning to pile on points right from the first few days of the race. His focus on the jersey allowed him to quickly gain a lead and then control it all the way to Rome.

"I've found a lot of people here at XDS Astana who I enjoy working with. I enjoy a lot of appreciation within the team and I feel I've grown, that I can still improve," Fortunato shared with CyclingPro.net. "I may not belong to a generation of riders who achieved results immediately, but through hard work, I've already achieved good results. And I feel there's still room for improvement."

And in 2025 he already did improve, finishing fifth at the Tour des Alpes Maritimes; third at the Faun-Ardèche Classic; fourth at the Tour de Romandie where he won a stage and finished third on the summit finish to Thyon 2000; and also rode to second in the final overall classification of the Vuelta a Burgos. Time trialing is an issue, but when it comes to consistency, he finds no issues in the stage-races.

And he confirms it, after achieving the KOM jersey this year at the Giro, next year he will be at the start line in Bulgaria with different ambitions. "There's no block of three grueling mountain stages, and that gives me some breathing room. It's a really nice Giro that I enjoy, even though the time trial is a bit long for my abilities. Next year, I don't just want to go for a stage win or the mountain jersey, but also to achieve a good position in the general classification."

The XDS Astana Team rider has also shared details on what's to come soon for the start of the year. "I'll start the racing season with the three Spanish races for the Challenge Mallorca. Those races are mainly intended as a warm-up, because after that, I'll go on an altitude training camp. As the Italian season opener, I'd like to ride the Trofeo Laigueglia, and I'm also certain I'll ride Tirreno-Adriatico and the Volta a Catalunya."

This means he will do an altitude camp both in February and in April, which alongside his hefty calendar, showcase how committed he is to the task of continuing to improve his level and potentially finishing amongst the best at the Corsa Rosa.

"In the summer, I'll be chasing a spot in the Montreal squad (for the World Championships, ed.). And in Italy, late in the year, he hopes to perform again in the Italian Autumn classics: "My concrete goal is to win one or more races in the Coppa Italia delle Regioni. The Giro dell'Emilia is the race that suits me best".