The race of the future. It’s where the rising stars of the sport shine and it’s an opportunity for those not yet noticed to make a name for themselves.
Recent winners of the men’s edition include Tadej Pogačar, Isaac del Toro and last year’s champion Joseph Blackmore. The Femmes race is a newer event, but nonetheless its short winners list is already impressive, with Shirin van Anrooij and Marion Bunel claiming the first two editions. This year, the Hommes and the Femmes races will take place at the same time.
In the last few years, the start-list for the Tour de l’Avenir has become much more globalised, with nations such as Japan, Mexico and a combined team from the UCI World Cycling Centre regularly taking part. This year is no different and there are a number of exciting talents from emerging nations taking to the start-lines of both the men’s and women’s races. Here’s 10 you should be keeping an eye on over the next week.
18-year-old Genji Iwamura is racing the Tour de l’Avenir for the first time. Image: Solution Tech-Vini Fantini
Eritrean Yafiet Mulugeta is a rider to get excited about. He has spent much of this year training and racing in Brittany with the UCI World Cycling Centre as part of their ‘Africa 2025’ programme, which aims to train up young Africans to prepare them for the Kigali Worlds and beyond.
According to a coach on the programme, Mulugeta is the rider most likely to turn professional. Not only is he a powerful climber, but his tactics and positioning are advanced too. His biggest result this year was 8th at the Tour des Mauges alongside an impressive ride at the Tour du Rwanda earlier in the year. This race is Mulugeta’s biggest opportunity to win a contract for 2026.