From Sunday 15th of June to Sunday 22nd of June, the young riders of Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz will participate for the third consecutive year in the Giro Next Gen, the prestigious U23 version of the Tour of Italy. Led by Kévin van Melsen, the young guard returns to an event they've left their mark on in the two previous editions, notably with a stage victory for Huub Artz in 2024 and the best young rider jersey for Alexy Faure-Prost in 2023.
The route of this Giro Next Gen features eight stages totaling 1057 kilometers of racing and 14100 meters of elevation gain, primarily in northern Italy. The Grande Partenza takes the form of an 8.4-kilometer flat individual time trial through the streets of Rho. The main attractions of the event are the two summit finishes at Passo Maniva (10 km at 7.5%) on the third day and Prato Nevoso (13 km at 7.2%) on the seventh day, both above 1600 meters of altitude. Stages through the Apennines to Gavi (stage 5) and through Piedmont with its explosive finale (stage 8) should not be underestimated, while sprinters will have their chances in Cantù (stage 2), Salsomaggiore Terme (stage 4), and Acqui Terme (stage 6).
Italian Simone Gualdi, a future professional rider with Intermarché-Wanty, is participating in the Giro Next Gen for the second time, coming off a recent third place at Course de la Paix and another podium finish at Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23 earlier this season. Alongside him are two other fast riders with Norwegian Felix Ørn-Kristoff, winner of the Tour de Bretagne, and German Tobias Müller, recently second at Omloop het Nieuwsblad U23. Belgian Maxence Place, best young rider at the Tour of Japan and winner of the Monts-et-Châteaux Classic, and Halvor Dolven, Norwegian U23 champion and a strong finisher at Paris-Roubaix and Gent-Wevelgem, complete the selection.
"The Giro Next Gen has been on my mind for a long time. When establishing my performance plan this winter, Kévin van Melsen and I initially discussed stage results, but given my strong GC performances earlier this season, that has become a target as well. We'll see what's possible after the third stage. It's going to be tough with long climbs almost every day and small teams composed of only five riders making it hard to control. But with our strong line up, team spirit and agressive racing style I believe we can exploit that with Wanty-NIPPO-ReUz. We are highly motivated to challenge the other teams with attacks. And my performances in the Course de la Paix give me a lot of confidence. This will be my second Giro, and it's completely different from last year when I was finishing school and focused on exams. This time, I'm arriving with different ambitions and preparation. As my first experience with altitude training before the Tour de l’Avenir 2024 was positive, I prepared this Giro Next Gen on the heights of Livigno. After finishing the second part of my altitude camp earlier this week I did the recon of the final 65 kilometer of the third stage. It's crucial not just for being the first uphill finish, but also because it passes through my hometown of Bergamo."
"Reflecting the composition of our squad for the 2025 season, our Giro Next Gen selection brings together a strong team, capable of shining on all terrains. I'm convinced that with these five riders, we can create the same dynamic as in our two previous participations. Simone Gualdi is our leader for the general classification. He made significant progress on the long efforts and this Giro is one of his main objectives of the season. Building on his recent performance in the Course de la Paix, he can approach his home race with full confidence and great motivation. On the climbs, he'll be able to count on Maxence Place, who has consistently raised his level this season with this Giro in mind." "Beyond our general classification ambitions, we'll also be looking for stage victories. Halvor Dolven can try his luck in the breakaway, just as Huub Artz did brilliantly last year. Tobias Müller and Felix Ørn-Kristoff have shown they're capable of competing at the top in sprints. All three contributed to our team's first UCI stage race victory at the end of April during the Tour de Bretagne. The exceptional team spirit they demonstrated is a crucial asset in long, tough races, and it will be valuable again in this Giro."
