The Italian from the GRENKE - Auto Eder team secured the gold medal at the World Championship in Zurich with an impressive solo victory. Paul Fietzke (Germany) finished fourth, and Theodor August Clemmensen (Denmark) came in ninth, rounding off the excellent results for the Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe U19 riders.
Lorenzo Finn is the new world champion. The 17-year-old Italian had the strongest legs in the 127.2-kilometer U19 road race at the World Championships in Zurich. Finn launched his first attack 60 kilometers from the finish but was caught by his competitors. However, with 20 kilometers to go, he attacked again, leaving his remaining rivals behind. In pouring rain, Finn built a big lead, winning the gold medal with a 2:05 minute gap over Britain’s Sebastian Grindley and 3:06 minutes ahead of the Netherlands’ Senna Remijn. Just behind, Germany’s Paul Fietzke narrowly missed the bronze medal, finishing fourth (+3:06 minutes). Theodor August Clemmensen (Denmark, +6:45 minutes) rounded off the strong performance of the GRENKE - Auto Eder riders with a ninth-place finish.
Following the 2022 title by Germany’s Emil Herzog, the gold medal at the 2024 World Championships goes once again to a rider from GRENKE - Auto Eder. Last year, Paul Fietzke also took silver. Finn’s victory is yet another testament to the excellent development program of the WorldTeam Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. For Finn, this triumph caps off a hugely successful season. Earlier in the year, he claimed the Italian championship titles in both the road race and time trial. Additionally, he won the general classification at the Belgian stage race Aubel-Thimister-Stavelot and placed third at the French Ain Bugey Valromey Tour.
Results
Quotes
“Honestly, I still haven’t fully realized what happened today. It feels like a dream. I think I had the best legs of my life. When I was out solo, 60 kilometers from the finish, I thought, ‘This might be a bit early.’ But when my second attack worked, I knew I had a real shot. Normally, I don’t like racing in the rain, but today everything just fell into place. Now, I’m going to enjoy this moment.” – Lorenzo Finn
“Lorenzo rode an incredibly strong race. It was clear early on that he was the best rider in the field. He stayed calm despite attacks from his rivals and made his decisive move at just the right moment. An absolutely well-deserved victory. Having Paul and Theodor in the top ten as well is the cherry on top of an already highly successful season and further proof of our excellent talent development program. Congratulations to the entire team.” – Dr Christian Schrot, Sports Director GRENKE - Auto Eder
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency/Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe