The very young Jacob Omrzel, born in 2006, this year he got noticed all over the world, winning the Giro Next Gen and, perhaps even more surprisingly, the Slovenian elite national championship. Performances that earned him a place next season the big leap, From development to the first team of Bahrain Victorious.
While waiting to see him in action in the WorldTour in 2026, to find out more about the new Slovenian champion, we contacted Paolo Longo Borghini, who follows him closely as a man NorthwaveThe Venetian company has in fact tied itself to Omrzel with a new contract that will bind them for the next four years.
Paolo, why did you choose to sign Omrzel?
Indeed he had already been with us for two yearsHe's under contract with Carera and we have a great relationship with them, they proposed him to us when he was racing in the Bahrain continental championship. We know that that's a difficult age for young riders, so We have always tried to help young people, since the time of GannaThis bet was made some time ago has brought us to have among us the winner of the Giro Next Gen and the Slovenian national championships, so in this case it was an excellent bet.
So renewing the contract was almost automatic?
Yes, we have decided to renew the long-term contract, let's say for the entire duration of what he has with the team. A sign that We don't want to put any pressure on such a young boy, we don't want to give him confidence in the futureWe're sure he has the numbers, but we don't want to create more pressure in a world that's already under enough pressure. That's also the team's vision for him.
What kind of rider do you think he can become?
When you're young and you're so strong, you're good almost everywhere. Then among the professionals he will have to find his dimension, as is normal. I see him very well for stage races, not by chance he won the Giro Next Gen which is already a very high level race
Let's talk about the material. What shoes does Omrzel use?
He's a boy who knows what he wants, even years ago. never has had no problems nor requested special customizationsHe uses standard shoes, the ones that anyone can find in the shop, even if his, like all the professionals', we assemble them in the company. The model he uses is the Veloce Extreme, our top of the range from the street. The same one that Ganna and his teammates Caruso and Mohoric use.
But what is he like as a human being, you who knew him?
It gives you the idea of being a very reserved boy, almost in awe of a technical staff like ours. Then, when talking to us, he's very interested and very mature. As I was saying: you can see he knows what he wants. He's very calm but underneath he has a great desire to know, he is interested in technical details, he wants to understand, not everything is going well for him. This is useful to us too, we know we have to be at 110 percent now, we always have to be at the top from a technical point of view.
Being connected to one of the most important prospects of the future seems to indicate that you can do it…
Ours is a fairly small company, we are not giants like our other competitors, but we are very happy with the results that we can achieve. It is also the result of the family relationship we establish with the athletesWe manage to put the kids at ease and this is a very important aspect.
In addition to the Veloce Extreme, will Omrzel have other models available?
The model is that, but there will be some big news for next yearWe're already working on it with the guys, I can't say more for now. Except that We are committed to always being at the forefront in a world that is moving very fast and which is increasingly pushed in every detail.
As a company, are you aiming for any particular results in 2026? Perhaps starting with Sanremo with Ganna...
We have champions with us who allow us to think big both in the classics and in the stages of the Grand Tours. For example we believe a lot in De Lie who had a great end to the season. And certainly also in Filippo, not just for Sanremo, let's remember that last year he almost won the Tirreno-Adriatico. But also Mohoric, who has had a difficult year but we know what he is capable of, will certainly be eager to show off again. As well as Omrzel himself. Always without putting any pressure on him, of course. But why not, in a smaller race? he could already start to make himself seen among the big boys.
