Preview Tour de l'Avenir 2025 | The future stars of Visma, UAE, Red Bull, INEOS, Decathlon and Lotto, all in action
CyclingFriday, 22 August 2025 at 08:40
While the spotlight is on the Vuelta a España, another major race kicks off this Saturday in France, the Tour de l’Avenir, also known as the “Tour de France for U23 riders.” It’s a stage race where the next generation of cycling stars traditionally battle it out in a wild, often unpredictable contest. IDLProCycling.com tells you everything you need to know.
One glance at the Tour de l’Avenir honors list shows nothing but riders who are now racing at the WorldTour level. With names like Egan Bernal (2017) and Tadej Pogačar (2018), we see champions who have since won multiple grand tours. With the exception of defending champion Joe Blackmore, nearly every recent winner or podium finisher has already placed top 10 in at least one grand tour.
Blackmore claimed victory last year by attacking in the hillier stages. The Brit, now riding for Israel–Premier Tech, ended the race with a 12-second lead over Pablo Torres from UAE Team Emirates. Dutchman Tijmen Graat, who will ride for Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, finished third.
Most recent winners Tour de l'Avenir
2024 Joe Blackmore
2023 Isaac del Toro
2022 Cian Uijtdebroeks
2021 Tobias Halland Johannessen
2020 Cancelled
2019 Tobias Foss
2018 Tadej Pogacar
2017 Egan Bernal
2016 David Gaudu
2015 Marc Soler
2023 Isaac del Toro
2022 Cian Uijtdebroeks
2021 Tobias Halland Johannessen
2019 Tobias Foss
2018 Tadej Pogacar
2017 Egan Bernal
2016 David Gaudu
2015 Marc Soler
Tour de l'Avenir 2025: Course, favorites daily wins and times
Prologue, Saturday, Aug. 23: Tignes - Tignes (3.0 km)
This year’s Tour de l’Avenir kicks off in Tignes with a 3-kilometer prologue, short, but steep. We’re in the Alps, after all, and the road rises at a painful 7.4% gradient. Time to test those young lungs early.
Times
Start: 5:35 p.m.
Finish: 6:35 p.m.
Start: 5:35 p.m.
Finish: 6:35 p.m.
Stage 1, Sunday, Aug. 24: Aoste - Saint-Galmer (188.6 km)
The first road stage covers 188.6 kilometers, finishing in Saint-Galmier. With 30 kilometers to go, the riders will summit a long 15-kilometer climb at 3%, followed by a fast descent into the finish at Saint-Galmier.
Favorites
Davide Donati (Italy)
Noah Hobbs (Great Britain)
Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Norway)
Davide Donati (Italy)
Noah Hobbs (Great Britain)
Karsten Larsen Feldmann (Norway)
Times
Start: 12:40 p.m.
Finish: 5:20 p.m.
Start: 12:40 p.m.
Finish: 5:20 p.m.
Stage 2, Monday, Aug. 25: Saint-Symphorien Sur-Coise - Vitry-en-Charollas (136.7 km)
The second stage in line is also one for the fast men. There are three fourth-category climbs, but they’re not expected to split the bunch. Likely another sprint finish.
Favorites
Matyas Kopecky (Czech Republic)
Davide Donati (Italy)
Patrick Boje Frydkjaer (Denmark)
Matyas Kopecky (Czech Republic)
Davide Donati (Italy)
Patrick Boje Frydkjaer (Denmark)
Times
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: 4:45 p.m.
Start: 1 p.m.
Finish: 4:45 p.m.
Stage 3, Tuesday, Aug. 26: Etang-sur-Arroux - Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne (158.6 km)
In the first days of the tour, it's up to the sprinters and that's also the case on day four. In Chattilon-sur-Chalaronne, after 158 kilometers, there is likely to be a sprint for the day's victory.
Favorites
Davide Donati (Italy)
Noah Hobbs (Great Britain)
Matyas Kopecky (Czech Republic)
Davide Donati (Italy)
Noah Hobbs (Great Britain)
Matyas Kopecky (Czech Republic)
Times
Start: 12:45 p.m.
Finish: 4:35 p.m.
Start: 12:45 p.m.
Finish: 4:35 p.m.
Stage 4, Wednesday, Aug. 27: Montagnat - Val-Suran (110.2 km)
A transitional stage is on the menu for wednesday, with the Col de l’Aubergin (4 km at 6.1%) midway through. This could be a perfect opportunity for breakaway specialists to shine.
Favorites
Callum Thornley (Great Britain)
Pau Marti (Spain)
Simone Gualdi (Italy)
Callum Thornley (Great Britain)
Pau Marti (Spain)
Simone Gualdi (Italy)
Times
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Start: 12:30 p.m.
Finish: 3:30 p.m.
Stage 5, Thursday, August 28: Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc - Tignes 2100 (126.0 km)
And so on day six we are back in Tignes, and how. With a stage that includes the Col de Saisies (13.1 km at 6.0%), Cornet de Roselend (20.3 km at 6.2%), Montée des Moulins (9.2 km at 5.6%) and Tignes 2100 (19.1 km at 5.4%), there are four tough climbs on the menu. Expect fireworks, this stage will likely shape the GC.
Favorites
Pablo Torres (Spain)
Jarno Widar (Belgium)
Paul Seixas (France)
Pablo Torres (Spain)
Jarno Widar (Belgium)
Paul Seixas (France)
Times
Start: 12:45 p.m.
Finish: 4:05 p.m.
Start: 12:45 p.m.
Finish: 4:05 p.m.
Stage 6a, Friday, Aug. 29: La Rosiere - La Rosiere (41.6 km)
Two stages are scheduled on the final day. A point-to-point stage of just over 40 kilometers in the morning and another individual time trial in the afternoon, both in La Rosiere. The Colle San Carlo (10.3 km at 10%) is probably the toughest climb we're going to encounter this week, so this is going to be another hefty ride. By the way, we do the Col du Petit Saint Bernard including descent during neutralization.
Favorites
Jakub Omrzel (Slovenia)
Lorenzo Finn (Italy)
Luke Tuckwell (Australia)
Jakub Omrzel (Slovenia)
Lorenzo Finn (Italy)
Luke Tuckwell (Australia)
Times
Start: 9:30 a.m.
Finish: 11:06 a.m.
Start: 9:30 a.m.
Finish: 11:06 a.m.
Stage 6b, Friday, Aug. 29: Montvalezan - La Rosiere (10.3 km, individual time trial)
The race ends with a 10.3-kilometer uphill time trial at an average of 6.7%. A tough, honest test to crown the strongest young rider of the week.
Favorites
Jarno Widar (Belgium)
Paul Seixas (France)
Pablo Torres (Spain)
Jarno Widar (Belgium)
Paul Seixas (France)
Pablo Torres (Spain)
Times
Start: 3:15 p.m.
Finish: 5:05 p.m.
Start: 3:15 p.m.
Finish: 5:05 p.m.
Favorites final classification Tour de l'Avenir 2025
The start list for the Tour de l’Avenir features quite a few familiar names. One of them is Jarno Widar. The Belgian didn’t have the best edition last year and will be eager to make up for it. So far this year, he’s already taken wins at the Tour de l’Isard, Valle d’Aosta, and Liège–Bastogne–Liège U23, but l’Avenir, along with the World Championships, is seen as the real prize.
To win, he will have to get past Paul Seixas, the French prodigy riding for Decathlon AG2R. At just 18 years old, Seixas finished 12th in the Tour of the Alps and 8th in the Critérium du Dauphiné, but due to illness, he wasn’t able to race any lead-up events.
For Spain, Pablo Torres was the man to watch in the mountains last year, but the overall victory slipped just out of reach. He’ll be back for redemption, as will Jorgen Nordhagen of Visma | Lease a Bike, who had to skip the race entirely last season.
We already got a preview during the Giro Next Gen, where riders like Jakub Omrzel (Slovenia, overall winner) and Pavel Novak (Czech Republic, queen stage winner) came out on top. Also rising to the fore were the Red Bull–BORA–hansgrohe trio: Lorenzo Finn (Italy), Luke Tuckwell (Australia), and Callum Thornley (Great Britain).
Torres, Seixas and Finn also have backup from Pau Marti, Adria Pericas (Spain), Maxime Decomble (France) and the duo of Filippo Turconi and Simone Gualdi (Italy). Other names to watch out for are Peter Oxenberg, Simon Dalby (Denmark), Liam O'Brien, Jamie Meehan (Ireland), Juan Felipe Rodriguez (Colombia) and Matteo Pablo Ramirez (Ecuador).
According to IDLProCycling.com, who are the Favorites for the final classification of the 2025 Tour de l'Avenir?
Top favorites: Paul Seixas (France) and Jarno Widar (Belgium)
Outsiders: Pablo Torres (Spain) Jorgen Nordhagen (Norway), Lorenzo Finn (Italy) and Jakub Omrzel (Slovenia)
Long shots: Luke Tuckwell (Australia), Pavel Novak (Czech Republic), Callum Thornley (Great Britain), Adria Pericas (Spain), Maxime Decomble (France), Filippo Turconi, Simone Gualdi (Italy), Simon Dalby (Denmark), Jamie Meehan (Ireland) and Matteo Pablo Ramirez (Ecuador)
Outsiders: Pablo Torres (Spain) Jorgen Nordhagen (Norway), Lorenzo Finn (Italy) and Jakub Omrzel (Slovenia)
Long shots: Luke Tuckwell (Australia), Pavel Novak (Czech Republic), Callum Thornley (Great Britain), Adria Pericas (Spain), Maxime Decomble (France), Filippo Turconi, Simone Gualdi (Italy), Simon Dalby (Denmark), Jamie Meehan (Ireland) and Matteo Pablo Ramirez (Ecuador)
Data powered by FirstCycling.com
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Latest Comments
- In 5yrs, Pogi will be a top Twitch streamer living on baked goods while Urska is still racing.Veganpotter11-08-2025
- All they learned is that at the end of a 3 week race, Wout can beat him on a slightly bumpy stage. Obviously, this is very much thanks to Wout not racing for GC every day. This doesn't teach them a thing for Jonas beating Pogi. Not saying Jonas will never beat him again. But this absolutely won't have anything to do with it if he does beat him.Veganpotter28-07-2025
- Well, he eventually Pogacar pays the price for his insane spring campaign which was really crazyRosenkohl196125-07-2025
- Maybe I was a bit disrespectful to Heiden. What he did was unique and exceptional but he wasn't the only one who combined those distances, nowadays it is just not possible and nobody competes in both distances. The same is true for cycling with for example the combination of Roubaix and de Tour de France. In Merckx era there were more riders who managed a top10 in both races than currently.Joostmehrtens19-06-2025
- Two old men shouting at pigeons in the park…JonS16-06-2025
- Out of touch old men hankering after their youth through rose tinted spectacles, their arrogance almost outshines their irrelevance. Turn the volume down, this modern stuff just isn't music like we used to sing...johnny20whales16-06-2025
- In talking speed skating, the days when Heiden did that, nobody else did that. And Eddy couldn't do the equivalent of the bike. His 200 on the velodrome was good, but not world competitive for gold. Heiden was in his own world on the ice, moreso than Eddy if we pretend Eric didn't have a very short career on the ice.Veganpotter16-06-2025
- They wouldn't have dropped HIM so easily.... the GOAT. They would have dropped the rest from that era easily thoughVeganpotter16-06-2025
- Merckx was able to win in a break away on a flat (sprinters) stage, what do you mean they did not drop that easily in his time. Vlaeminck won in the mountains and the classics, but now you need to specialise. The days that a Eric Heiden could win the sprint and the 10k and everything in between are long gone and cycljng is no differentJoostmehrtens16-06-2025
- Carsapaz and Del torro were not capable of chasing Yates. They paused and looked at each other because they didn't have it in them. Yates had kept his powder dry waiting for this stage and demolished both of them. They lost Yates won. Your second guessing is utter nonsense., if either felt they could close Yates down they would have , just like they did countless times for other riders. They blew up , Yates excelled.Uphillbilly05-06-2025