19-year-old Lorenzo Finn steps up as (Italy hopes) Vincenzo Nibali's successor: 'Still far from my full potential'

Finn has been on the radar for years, in a sport where young teenagers stand out early on. As a club rider, he had already made a name for himself in junior races on Italian soil.

He became the Italian time trial and road champion in 2024 and, as a club rider, competed in the World Championships in Switzerland, where he immediately claimed the rainbow jersey.

Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe brought Finn over from its satellite team, GRENKE-Auto Eder, to its own development squad, and things moved very quickly for him in 2025.

Finn immediately competed among the best in the U23 category, finished in the top ten at the Giro NextGen and the Tour de l’Avenir, joined the WorldTour squad on several occasions, and capped it all off with the U23 world title.

In 2026, Finn was officially in his second year with the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies, but he started the year with his first professional victory in the elite category at the Trofeo Ses Salines.

That summer, he went on to win the Sibiu Tour, shortly after claiming victory in his age group at the Giro NextGen. He also dominated the Tour de l'Avenir.

Although Italy finished eighth in the 2026 Giro d'Italia with Davide Piganzoli and saw Giulio Pellizzari place sixth in both the Giro and the Vuelta a España in 2025, all hopes now seem to be pinned on Finn.

Finn said in a Red Bull press release: “I’ve reached a level where I can have confidence in myself. I feel ready for the next step.”

In 2027, however, Finn will mainly want to learn, now that he’ll also be racing in the biggest events among the elite men.

Sports director Zak Dempster says: “Our goal is to develop young riders, starting at the junior level, to compete in the WorldTour. Lorenzo is the first rider to have followed that entire path, confirming that our approach works. It sends a clear message to all young riders around the world: if you want to develop yourself for the long term, Red Bull offers the right environment.”

Finn also emphasises that he is taking a gradual approach. "I'm still far from reaching my full potential."