Lorenzo Finn celerated as the world champion for the second consecutive year, swapping out his junior men's road race title with the under-23 men's road race triumph at the 2025 UCI Road World Championships. The youngest winner of the race at 18 (turning 19 in December), his victory marked the first for Italy at these Worlds and a 'special moment' celebrated with his parents in Kigali.
Previous to Finn, Matej Mohorič (Slovenia) had been the youngest winner of the men's U23 road race, taking the title at age 18 (plus 343 days) in 2013, which made him 62 days older than the Italian.
"It's a really special feeling. Any medal at the World Championships is amazing, and to do it at the World Championships is special. The gold is the pinnacle," Finn said, who was also fourth in the under-23 men's individual time trial.
"Last year was more of a shock, and I had my head in my hands in disbelief. This year, I won't say that I knew I could win, but you know, when you have good legs, and I was more confident in my potential to win. There are so many variables and strong riders racing against you - it's unreal."
This time around, Finn powered clear from his opponent, Jan Huber (Switzerland), with six kilometres to go and never looked back, claiming a solo victory by 31 seconds ahead of Huber and 1:13 ahead of bronze medallist Marco Schrettl (Austria).
"I came here confident, and my shape was good after the Tour de l'Avenir. The feeling in the time trial wasn't amazing, and partly because of the altitude. It was still a good result, but after a few days, my feelings today were much better. The course was super hard, but I felt really good," he said.
Finn spent one season racing with the Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Rookies, where he was fourth at the Tour de l'Avenir and sixth at the Giro d'Italia Next Gen. He thanked his team for supporting him in his preparations in the months leading up to the World Championships.
"I'm happy with the choice I made. Since the juniors, I've been with their programme and a long-term vision for me and every rider in their Rookie department," he said.
"This is the hard work that pays off when everyone works as a team. No stones are left unturned. I also want to thank the team because I race for the national team, but the month leading up to this was hard work by everyone. My coach, I hate him sometimes, but he's a great guy and helped me get to a good level."
Finn also thanked his parents, who were present at the finish line to celebrate his success.
"They never miss a race. Everywhere I race, they follow me. It's really special to have them here, and I thank them for what they have done in the past for me. It's thanks to them that I am here. I think they will also enjoy this moment."
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