Favorites young rider classification Giro d’Italia 2025 | White jersey likely to rest on strong shoulders
CyclingTuesday, 06 May 2025 at 10:05
We’ve already previewed three of the four classification jerseys in the Giro d’Italia, but we haven’t yet covered the battle for the young rider classification. Who could be wearing white in Rome, and which riders still have the potential to level up in the coming seasons? IDLProCycling.com breaks it down for you.
Check out other articles about the Giro d'Italia from IDLProCycling.com:
- Preview of the Giro d'Italia
- Favorites general classification (pink jersey)
- Favorites points classification (purple jersey)
- Favorites mountain classification (blue jersey)
- Giro d’Italia fantasy pool tips (coming soon)
- Favorites general classification (pink jersey)
- Favorites points classification (purple jersey)
- Favorites mountain classification (blue jersey)
- Giro d’Italia fantasy pool tips (coming soon)
Most recent winners of the young rider classification Giro d'Italia
2024 Antonio Tiberi
2023 Joao Almeida
2022 Juan Pedro López
2021 Egan Bernal
2020 Tao Geoghegan Hart
2019 Miguel Ángel López
2018 Miguel Ángel López
2017 Bob Jungels
2016 Bob Jungels
2015 Fabio Aru
2023 Joao Almeida
2022 Juan Pedro López
2021 Egan Bernal
2020 Tao Geoghegan Hart
2019 Miguel Ángel López
2018 Miguel Ángel López
2017 Bob Jungels
2016 Bob Jungels
2015 Fabio Aru
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Favorites youth classification Giro d'Italia 2025
To compile this list, the editors of IDLProCycling.com, both current and former, were asked to submit their top ten in response to the question: "Who is most likely to win the young rider classification at the Giro d’Italia?" Each top ten was scored based on ranking with 12 points for first place, 10 for second, followed by 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point.
For every rider, the total score was converted into a percentage of the maximum number of points possible. These percentages are listed next to each rider to give a better idea of the favorites according to IDLProCycling.com.
10. Marco Frigo - Israel-Premier Tech
Tenth on our list is Marco Frigo, who is set to start his third Giro d’Italia with Israel–Premier Tech. The Italian impressed in 2023 with his aggressive racing style, a hallmark of his approach. He recently won a stage in the Tour of the Alps, which presumably earned him his spot in this list.
His team has Derek Gee as the clear GC leader, but we’ll certainly see Frigo active in the transitional and mountain stages.
9. Luke Plapp - Jayco AlUla
Luke Plapp is seen within Jayco AlUla as the rider who could deliver strong GC results for the team in the coming years, but this Giro d’Italia may come a bit too soon. The Aussie had a disrupted start to the season due to injury, though he already picked up a stage win in Greece and showed promising form at the Tour Down Under.
Last year, Plapp rode a strong Giro, placing in the top 10 in time trials and animating the gravel stage. This season he will also look to attack again and that way he can also eventually bulldoze into the GC.
8. Johannes Staune-Mittet - Decathlon AG2R
At Decathlon AG2R, they knocked on Visma | Lease a Bike's door last transfer winter to acquire Johannes Staune-Mittet as a potential GC rider and this Giro d'Italia se first chance for that. The Norwegian had a good dress rehearsal in the Tour de Romandie, where he finished 12th.
At 23, Staune-Mittet has yet to ride a grand tour, so this will be his first experience in a three-week stage race. There won’t be much pressure, which allows him to start the Giro without too much stress or expectation.
7. Georg Steinhauser - EF Education-EasyPost
The 23-year-old German Georg Steinhauser was one of the revelations of last year’s Giro. He won a stage and also finished third on three other occasions, which earned him third place in the mountains classification. The nephew of Jan Ullrich started this season well too, with solid performances in the UAE Tour and Paris–Nice, but his form dipped somewhat afterward.
Steinhauser has been dealing with a knee issue, which limited his recent performances. At EF Education–EasyPost, the team is approaching this Giro differently than in 2024, especially with Richard Carapaz now in as the designated team leader.
6. Giulio Pellizzari - Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe
Now for the first of Italy’s major young talents: Giulio Pellizzari. Last season, racing for VF Group–Bardiani, he made a big impression at the Giro d’Italia, nearly winning a stage. He continued that strong form into the autumn, which earned the top talent a transfer to Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe.
He hasn’t raced extensively yet with the German squad, but already impressed in the Volta a Catalunya, where he helped Primoz Roglic secure overall victory. In his home country, he’s also part of the core support group around the Slovenian star.
5. Davide Piganzoli - Polti VisitMalta
Another strong young climber from the land of the boot is Davide Piganzoli. The Italian climber impressed last year by finishing 13th in his first Giro, and he hopes to improve on that performance this year. At Polti VisitMalta, he’ll once again be the team’s GC leader, although the team also emphasizes that he’s ready to seize opportunities when they arise.
In the tough third week, the pure climber that Piganzoli is should feel most at home, that’s also where he’ll need to secure his spot in the young rider classification.
4. Max Poole - Picnic PostNL
Picnic PostNL approaches the Giro d’Italia with two GC leaders: Romain Bardet and Max Poole. For one, it’s the final grand tour of his career, while for the other, it’s his first real shot at riding for the GC. Poole already raced a strong Vuelta last year, finishing in the top ten four times.
The Brit has had his share of bad luck this season, but in the Tour of the Alps, his final warm-up race, he showed he’s in good shape again. Poole finished seventh overall and placed in the top ten on every stage.
3. Isaac del Toro - UAE Emirates-XRG
Our top three starts with Isaac del Toro of UAE Emirates-XRG. The Mexican rode his first grand tour last year at the Vuelta a España and now gets to line up for his second. This spring, he already raced alongside team leader Juan Ayuso in several events, and the pairing worked well at Tirreno-Adriatico and the Faun Drome Classic.
Del Toro won the Tour de l’Avenir in 2023 and belongs to a select group of top-tier young talents, but his role at UAE Emirates-XRG in this Giro will likely be mainly as a support rider.
2. Antonio Tiberi - Bahrain Victorious
In second place on our list is the man who won the white jersey last year: Antonio Tiberi. The Italian from Bahrain Victorious is his team’s undisputed leader, and he’ll be supported by experienced riders like Damiano Caruso and Pello Bilbao. The podium is the goal, and achieving that would, of course, mean Tiberi would also be a major contender for the white jersey again.
Tiberi had to abandon the Tour of the Alps, but his team has complete confidence in him. They're especially encouraged by his third-place finish at Tirreno-Adriatico.
1. Juan Ayuso - UAE Emirates-XRG
Juan Ayuso managed to win that edition of Tirreno-Adriatico and, together with Primoz Roglic, is widely considered the top favorite for the Giro d'Italia. The Spaniard from UAE Emirates-XRG is going all-in for the overall win, but he still qualifies for the young rider classification. Logically, therefore, he is considered the top favorite for the white jersey.
Ayuso will lead UAE Emirates-XRG together with Adam Yates, as Tadej Pogacar is not part of the lineup. For Ayuso, who already made the Vuelta podium at age 19, the goal is to take the next step, and he hopes to do that right here at the Giro.
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Latest Comments
- Why continue to give this bully and liar a platform. Both he and Bruyneel should be persona non grata in the cycling world.Aodh25-04-2025
- Such negative comments that are truly inappropriate and actually ridiculous. He sounds like an old man, bitter that he can't race anymore. Why can't he just be gracious? Or just shut up. Instead of howling for attention, in such a rude manner. Must be Dementia creeping in. We are all living in the Now. Records are there, and some are being broken, some are unapproachable. If he doesn't like it, and it makes him sick, maybe he ought start watching some other sport. Don't want the old mans health to be upset.
reemmo031-03-2025 - Roger De Vlaeminck inspires me to create a new beer: "Bitter Old Twat Belgian".JackInhof31-03-2025
- Shoot, I'll ride it for 1/10 of what his pay for that day is😅Veganpotter30-03-2025
- What is this? The Lance Armstrong daily cheaters channel? I could care less about Johan and Lance the seven times cheater. Greg Lemond was right all along, Why don't you write about that instead of these two knuckleheads.velodrone28-03-2025
- Are we all doomed to hear from Lance Armstrong and Johan bruneel until the end of time? It's not enough the stain they left on cycling? Do we have to see that shadow forever?bigyakman26-03-2025
- I am not sure if it is the hardest to win. In Flanders and Roubaix well before the finish the Peleton will be decimated and the race will normally be won by the best rider of the day or maybe 2nd or 3rd in case of a mechanical or unlucky break especially in case of Roubaix. In San Remo just before the finish there will still be several riders in contention and they are hard to ditch. For the best riders it is a race hard to win since it is not so selective. But if you are not a top 5 rider but still a top 10 rider this race is your best change to win. You will see more Milan San remo Winners with only 1 monument win than any other monumentsJoostmehrtens19-03-2025
- "fap fap fap oh Lance oh oh OHHHHHHH" again. Does he pay you to dredge up people with nice things to say about him? He was an giant a$$hole to people. It is a fact. Whatever his contrition about the doping, he is unapologetic about being a giant a$$hole to people. (Why yes, I do only login to complain. *I* am however only a giant a$$hole to people who laud giant a$$holes.)ericjensenridesbikes25-02-2025
- Remco is still very young. And injuries can absolutely keep you from overdoing it and getting worse. The recent Remco accident didn't keep him from being able to ride a recumbent inside. Wout's knee is a different story thoughVeganpotter23-01-2025
- Van der Poel style is winning by a half a lap and leading the race from the end of the second lap.
Barnes127420-01-2025