"I'm not the new Pogacar," says Baby Giro winner Ormzel, who thanks Visma star Nordhagen for his incredible legs

The 20-year-old climber could not have wished for a better end to the Giro d'Italia for U23 riders. “I can now say that the Giro is saved; we can be very happy with this,” said Nordhagen in the flash interview, having proved to be the strongest climber on the last two days. His team provided him with fantastic support throughout. “Today especially, the team did so well. It makes me proud to be part of this.”

It was a tough final stage, partly due to an explosive start with an average speed of over 50 kilometers per hour. “We wanted to keep control from the start and maybe send someone with the breakaway,” the Norwegian explained. “But the battle was long and tough, but the guys kept me in a great position. On the final climb, it was all out. Omrzel was there for the GC so that we could work well together in the final kilometers. I'm happy I was able to secure the victory.”

Slovenian Omrzel was the only one who could keep up with Nordhagen, after which the Visma rider managed to beat him at the finish line. "I'm not sure you can call it a sprint," laughs the winner. “It was full throttle to the finish, every last ounce of energy I had. The wattages won't have been great, but a win is a win, right?” Omrzel won the GC because he put leader Luke Tuckwell behind him. “We knew it would be very exciting. It was only 11 seconds, and with the 6 bonus seconds, there wouldn't be many seconds left. I'm very proud of him,” said the Norwegian about his breakaway companion.

The victory in the final stage of the Giro Next Gen is a reward for Nordhagen's hard work. “It's hugely important. The whole season has been building up to this moment, so to take the victory here is amazing. This might be one of the biggest victories of my career.” Was this the end of his career in the U23 category? “I'm not sure. I'll discuss it with the team, but I officially have two years left. I'm getting plenty of opportunities among the pros, and I'm really enjoying it. It will be a mix between my ambitions and what the team wants from me.”

For Ormzel, Sunday was naturally a day of pure joy. The 19-year-old Slovenian from the Bahrain Victorious development team made a name for himself with an impressive week of racing. “It's great that I won my first participation; I didn't expect that. They say that with hard work, you can achieve great things. I felt good today, but wasn't sure if I could beat Tuckwell. With the help of the team and Nordhagen in the last kilometer. He worked hard for his victory.”

And so the two sprinted to victory, Nordhagen taking the stage win and Ormzel the overall victory. “I don't realize that this is my first victory in the U23 category; that still has to sink in. I can't find the right words, partly because I had a bad crash a few months ago and ended up in the hospital. I believed in a comeback.” He did, however, dismiss a comparison that is already popular. “I'm not the new Pogacar, I'm the young Omrzel.”