(PRIMASPORT) REGGIO CALABRIA – The 2026 edition of the Giro Next Gen Carta Giovani Nazionale, the stage race organized by RCS Sport on behalf of the Italian Cycling Federation and dedicated to top cycling talent under 23, kicks off in Reggio Calabria. The 1,093.2 km race, divided into eight stages, will cross six regions of central and southern Italy before the grand finale in L'Aquila, where the overall winner will be crowned. 162 riders from 27 Italian and international teams will compete on a highly selective course, with two summit finishes and a total elevation gain of over 15,000 meters.
Despite his crash at the Tour of the Alps, Lorenzo Mark Finn has returned to the rainbow jersey at the Giro Next Gen, 20 years after Dmytro Grabovskyy. The Red Bull – Bora Hansgrohe – Rookies rider is one of the strong favorites for the overall victory. Among the main rivals are Henrique Bravo, recent winner of the Tour of Antalya and Oberosterreich Rundfahrt, the Bahrain Development Team duo of Kasper Borremans and Jan Jackowiak, Dutchman Daan Dijkman, winner of the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Frenchman Remi Daumas, who stood out at the Ronde de l'Isard, the Belgian duo of Kamiel Eeman and Niels Driesen from Lotto – Groupe Wanty, and their compatriot Matisse Van Kerckhove, who won the Alpes Isere Tour. In addition to Finn, two other riders capable of finishing in the top 10 of the 2025 edition will be at the start: Matteo Vanhuffel (8th) and Matteo Scalco (9th).
The 2026 route also offers plenty of opportunities for those who won't directly compete in the general classification, but are chasing stage wins. After winning the points classification in 2025, Aubin Sparfel returns to the Giro Next Gen. The Frenchman from the Decathlon CMA CGM Development Team has already won the Tour de Bretagne twice and will have a major focus on the many rolling stages on the program. Two stage winners from the 2025 edition, Adam Rafferty and Seth Dunwoody, are also present. The list of fastest riders at the start is led by Italian Davide Donati, who has already scored with the pros and won the category-specific Paris-Roubaix. In addition to the Red Bull Rookies rider, watch out for Patrick Frydkjaer, Mirko Bozzola, Aldo Taillieu, Davide Stella, and Halvor Dolven. Among the stage hunters, on mixed routes, are Jack Ward, Ugo Fabries, Mattia Negrente, Jesper Stiansen, Tommaso Bambagioni, Jasper Schoofs, Riccardo Lorello, Patryk Goszczurny and Cameron Rogers. (PRIMASPORT)
Photo credits: La Presse / RCS Sport Press Office
