On a searing Friday afternoon that turned Kigali’s thousand hills into a proving ground, 18-year-old Lorenzo Finn wrote himself deeper into cycling history. A year after lifting the junior rainbow jersey in Zurich, the Italian stunned the men’s U23 field with a perfectly timed, decisive solo attack to claim the 2025 UCI Road Men Under 23 World Championship title.
Early attrition on unforgiving roads
Start of the Men Under 23 Road Race
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
The 164.6-kilometre race opened aggressively. Before riders had even crossed the finish line for the first time, a three-man break formed with Michal Pomorski (Poland), Danylo Kozoriz (Ukraine), and Ramazan Yilmaz (Turkey). They carved out a slim 24-second margin, but the peloton, still dense and watchful, reeled them back methodically. Kozoriz, the last escapee, was caught with 142 km to go.
Attrition came early and relentlessly. The scorching sun and Kigali’s sharp climbs shredded the bunch. Riders from the UAE, Thailand, Turkey, Seychelles, and Slovakia abandoned before halfway. After just four laps, only 77 of the starters remained.
Belgium controls, but cracks appear
Team Belgium, with Tim Rex in the front, leads the Men U23 peloton
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
Belgium then seized the initiative, with an incredible Tim Rex leading the peloton and upping the pace for around 100 km to force further splits and making the race tough for his number one and favourite before the race Jarno Widar.
Strong names like Germany’s Mauro Brenner were dropped as the speed and heat combined. Attempts by Italy’s Pietro Mattio and Belgium’s Jasper Schoofs flickered but died quickly, the peloton unwilling to grant freedom.
Héctor Álvarez lights the race with a long solo
Héctor Álvarez breaks away and goes solo
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
With 62 km remaining, Héctor Álvarez of Spain launched the most daring attack so far. Riding alone, he opened a small gap; Jarno Widar tried to shut it down while the peloton hovered only seconds back. But Álvarez’s acceleration fractured the race, and soon a select chase formed behind.
By the 45 km mark, Álvarez was joined by five riders, among them Finn. Their advantage hovered around 20 seconds while the main field shrank and reorganised behind.
Lorenzo Finn senses the moment
Lorenzo Finn breaks away, Jan Huber returns
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
Cohesion in the lead group faltered just past the Côte de Kimihurura climb, 30 km from the finish. Sensing hesitation, Finn surged over the top, a show of tactical sharpness beyond his years. Only Switzerland’s Jan Huber could follow.
Together, Finn and Huber carved out a 47-second lead heading into the last lap. Big favourites Maxime Decomble, Adria Pericas, Jakub Ormzel and Jarno Widar languished almost two minutes back, the decisive split made.
Final showdown before Lorenzo Finn’s solo glory
Lorenzo Finn finishes solo and wins the Men Under 23 Road Race
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
Inside the final 10 km, the alliance cracked. Exchanges of sharp gestures betrayed fatigue and nerves. With 6.5 km to go, Finn struck again, rising from his saddle and instantly opening daylight on Huber. Alone, focused, he powered through Kigali’s undulating final stretch.
The Italian stopped the clock at 3:57:27, arms raised as the streets erupted around him. 31 seconds later, Huber crossed the line, claiming silver, while Austria’s Marco Schrettl surged late to claim bronze, already a minute 13 seconds behind Finn.
Lorenzo Finn’s youthful mastery and a future in the making
Lorenzo Finn celebrates his Men Under 23 World Title
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
Finn’s triumph places him alongside a tiny elite who’ve won world titles across age categories, names like Greg LeMond, Remco Evenepoel, Mathieu van der Poel and Matej Mohorič. Only the last one was able to do it back-to-back, like Lorenzo Finn did today.
“It’s exactly one year, ’26. It’s like last year, it’s just unreal,” Finn remarked.
The roar of Kigali’s crowd
Team Italy celebrates Lorenzo Finn’s Men Under 23 World Title
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
When asked about the intense atmosphere as he approached the finish line, Finn couldn’t help but reflect on the energy of the crowd: “The last 500 meters, my ears were hurting from how loud the crowd was. People from different nations were cheering me on!” Finn added, “The people here in Kigali are fantastic. It’s been a wonderful week, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
On the strategy behind his move, Finn admitted that it wasn’t always clear how the race would unfold: “We wanted to see what Belgium wanted to do at the start of the race. They kept it pretty controlled for the first half, so we tried to save some energy. Then it was just like all hell broke loose, just attacks everywhere. Luckily, I had some good legs. I thought I was suffering, but then I asked my teammates too. They were suffering, so it was a hard second part of the race.”
Only 18, the youngest in the decisive front group and already a two-time world champion, Finn now eyes 2026 WorldTour appearances while continuing his development path.
Rwandan effort in the global spotlight
Niyonkuru Samuel, Tuyizere Etienne, Ufitimana Shadrack, and Ruhumuriza Aime
© SWpix.com (t/a Photography Hub Ltd)
For the host nation, it was a proud but testing day. Rwanda lined up four riders among the 121 starters, including Niyonkuru Samuel, Tuyizere Etienne, Ufitimana Shadrack, and Ruhumuriza Aime, taking on the world’s best on home roads. In a race that saw only 56 finishers, Niyonkuru was the sole Rwandan to make it to the line, completing a gruelling contest that underscored just how selective and demanding Kigali’s circuit proved to be.
Men’s Under 23 Road Race: Top 10 Results
- Lorenzo Mark Finn (ITA): 3:57:27
- Jan Huber (SUI): +31 seconds
- Marco Schrettl (AUT): +1:13
- Héctor Álvarez Martínez (ESP): +1:38
- Mateusz Gajdulewicz (POL): +1:42
- Pau Martí Soriano (ESP): +2:22
- Victor Loulergue (FRA): +2:22
- Robin Donzé (SUI): +2:24
- Adria Pericas Capdevila (ESP): +2:24
- Mateo Pablo Ramírez Torres (ECU): +2:24
