After entering the Giro Next Gen as a standout favourite, under-23 world champion Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe Rookies) looks set to deliver, entering the final stage with a margin that it is going to be difficult for his rivals to overcome.
After finishing third, but first among the GC contenders, on the break-claimed stage 7, the Italian now holds an overall lead of 1:16 to nearest rival Mateo Ramírez (UAE Team Emirates Gen Z) and 1:18 to Henrique Bravo (Soudal QuickStep Devo Team).
"The guys did an amazing job. They controlled the race perfectly until the last 15 kilometers," sports director Pello Olaberria said in a team statement.
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"Lorenzo finished just five seconds behind at the end, but he showed again that he’s the strongest. In the final, only Soudal were chasing, so the gap was too much to bring back but we’re confident to bring the Maglia Rosa home."
Finn may have already been on the front foot ahead of the climb-heavy stage 7, with almost a minute overall advantage after his emphatic victory on stage 6 on Friday, but he didn't just sit back and follow the wheels of his rivals.
Instead, he launched from the group of favourites inside the final kilometre and while he couldn't catch the two riders out front – Aubin Sparfel (Decathlon CMA CGM Development) and Elliot Rowe (Visma-Lease a Bike Development) there was still plenty gained, between the four second time bonus for third plus another 16 seconds gap taken on the road to Ramírez, now his nearest rival on the GC.
"My main objective today was to keep the jersey and extend my lead, and I did that," said Finn. "The stage win didn’t come, but I was again the strongest of the GC riders on the climb, so it bodes well for tomorrow."
The final test facing Finn on Sunday is a race against the clock. Apart from the substantial gap already in place, the 22.2km individual time trial from Villa Sant'Angelo to L'Aquila certainly leans to the 19-year-old's favour.
He finished fourth in the discipline at the U23 World Championships test last year and none of the three riders who came out above him are present in Italy.
On top of that, "the course suits me well," said Finn in the post stage media conference of the undulating course finishing with a gradual uphill.
