Finn Wins U23 โRoad World Championship, Follows Up Junior Title
Kigali, Rwanda – Lorenzo โฃFinn of Great Britain secured the U23 men’s road worldโฃ championship title Friday, โaddingโฃ to his junior world title won in Zรผrich lastโ year. the 18-year-old launched a decisive attack 6km from the finish, distancing Jan Huber (Switzerland) and ultimately claiming victoryโ in a race ofโ attrition โthat saw over 50 riders fail to finish.
finn’sโ win comesโค after narrowly โคmissing the podium in Monday’s โฃU23 time trial and signals hisโ rapid ascent in the sport. Racingโค for โคthe Redโข Bull Bora-Hansgrohe devo team, Finn is contracted through 2026, but his performance suggests a โขpotential fast track to the โWorldTour team featuring Remco Evenepoel and primoลพ Rogliฤ.
“It’s exactly one year, it’s like last โyear,โฃ it’s just unreal,” Finn said at the finish. “My ears were hurting โbecuase there were โso many people from different nations cheering me on. The people hereโข in Kigali are โฃfantastic. It’s been a marvelous week.โข Obviously there’s โthe result, but I’ll rememberโ this for the rest of my life.”
Janโข Huber held on for second place, while โMarcoโฃ Schrettl (Austria) finished third. The 165km race โsaw Finn animate the front group with an attack atโ 32km to go, initially joined only by Huber. Heโ then unleashed a โseriesโ ofโ accelerations on the Cรดte de Kigali in the โฃfinal lap, proving too strong โfor his rival.
Pre-race โฃfavorite Jarno Widar (Belgium) was caught outโ by Finn’s early move andโฃ unable to mount a successfulโ chase. USA’s Cole Kessler was droppedโฃ from the bunch โaround 50km to go, โfinishing 22nd, nearly โ9 minutes behind the winner. More than half theโ starting field did not finish, with only 56 riders โขreaching the finishโข line.
Full results are availableโ at https://www.procyclingstats.com/clients/velo/results.php?id=312288&key=b09f5sd65sdf23jas33gs8a6e.