Andrea Raccagni Noviero has ended his first WorldTour season by setting his sights on the two most sacred dates on the Italian calendar. After a year that stretched from Australia to China and delivered real signs of progression, the 21-year-old believes the next step is obvious: aim for Milano–Sanremo and, one day, the Giro d’Italia.The Soudal – Quick-Step rider’s campaign began brightly in Adelaide, where he banked his first WorldTour top ten on the final stage. “It was nice to start my season with a top ten on the last stage of the Tour Down Under,” he said, reflecting on a confident opening to life at the top level in conversation with Tutto Bici Web.
A few days later he animated the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in the break, before tackling the cobbles of northern France. “That day I made my debut at Paris–Roubaix. I suffered, but that experience taught me a lot. The support and the atmosphere were something unique,” he recalled. “I hope I can race it again one day.”
The step forward became clearer after an altitude block mid-season. “When I returned to racing the sensations were better and in Poland I got the answers I was looking for. On the Zakopane stage, on a very tough course, I finished fourth (just behind Bagioli),” he noted.
That momentum carried into his late-summer and autumn workload: a solid Deutschland Tour, seventh overall at the Tour of Slovakia, and eye-catching rides in the Italian one-day races. “Seventh overall was really incredible. I could hardly believe my first placing in a time classification. And when I think I missed the best young rider’s jersey by just two seconds… that was one of the most important moments of my season.”
Raccagni in action during 2025
What comes next: climbs, a first win, and the Italian dream
Raccagni is clear about the profile he wants to grow into. “I want to improve on the climbs, because that’s where I feel strong. Obviously I’ll be hunting my first victory and maybe try some races in the Ardennes.”
And then there are the goals that matter most to any young Italian. “I’d be over the moon to race Milano–Sanremo and the Giro d’Italia,” he admitted — not as hype, but as the logical destination for a rider whose first year delivered depth as well as promise.
The story here isn’t a single headline win; it’s accumulation: long blocks of racing, smarter positioning, better recovery, and a tangible uptick after altitude. Coupled with front-group finishes in the Italian autumn calendar and that narrow miss on the young rider’s jersey in Slovakia, the picture is of a rider moving from ‘neo-pro learning’ to ‘reliable contributor with upside’.
If 2025 established his base, 2026 is the test: convert presence into a first victory, harden the climbing legs, and — schedule permitting — edge closer to those two iconic start lines. For Raccagni, the dream is clear. Now the work begins to make it routine.