MANERBA DEL GARDA – At the table with us, after Lorenzo Finn, Christian Schrot, sports director of the German junior team, sat down Grenke Auto EderFinn's arrival (photo GRENKE – Auto Eder/Matthis Waetzel at the top) has sparked a lot of curiosity, so let's take advantage of Schrot's availability to find out the plans behind the arrival of the team's first Italian rider. Entering a world like this isn't easy, but if you can carve out the space to get in one of the eight seats available must mean something.
«Lorenzo Finn he ran very well last year – he attacks immediately Shot – and we've seen it in several races. We usually like to take part in the Italian calendar, but it varies from year to year. Seeing Finn in action we knew he could complete our team., bringing his climbing skills. In fact, this year we will have a very well-balanced team; we have sought out and brought in the best international talent. We want to develop riders for all terrains, which is also useful for the WorldTour team (Bora Hansgrohe, ed.). Our team, just like a professional team, is made up of riders who are strong in one-day races, uphill, on cobblestones and in sprints."
What did you see in Lorenzo Finn?
We've seen a lot of what his growth process can be. We're just getting started; he's only been working with us for a short time. However we are quite sure that it can become a great climber and a stage racer. We had confirmation of this at the Giro della Lunigiana in 2023, but we had already seen his qualities in other races previously.
After a few months with you, what can you tell us about him?
We've been working with him since October, he had a good winter, healthy. During the training camp he went very strong and grew day by dayHe did a good job in Mallorca, then the boys They also trained in other disciplines, such as cross-country skiingIt was new to him, but he did very well.
Do you strongly believe in multidisciplinarity?
Yes, we strongly believe in a cross-sport approach. Not only in cycling-related fields, but also in other disciplines, which can provide added value. The nice thing is that the skills of cycling and cross-country skiing blend together, and this is good for the kids. Lorenzo doesn't live far from the Alps, so in the future, if he wants to do a different type of winter retreat he can go skiing.
What did you see from the numbers from the various tests?
We tested in the summer, in the area dedicated to us by Redbull, who, as you know, will join the team in the future, becoming a great partner. He already helped us with scouting last year, we set up the Redbull junior brothers program. Finn has very good values especially in resistance.
What will be your goals during the season?
Certainly the races dedicated to climbers, such as the Classic des Alpes and Valromey Tour.
He will also test himself in competitions in other countries, such as Belgium. Do you think he can adapt?
At the moment we can say that he could do very well, we will see how he performs in the category classics. He himself, however, is very focused on multi-day races, where he can do really well. We don't have the worry of running a lot, our team is structured to help the kids grow, especially with a view to the future.
You have few riders, only eight, a choice due to what?
We don't like to take on a lot of kids and then discard them, it doesn't seem right to us. Every young cyclist has a dream, so it wouldn't make sense to take so many every year and then send them away. Instead, it seems right to us to only take on those we know we can work well with.
You've already said in a previous interview that you pay a lot of attention to the boys' personalities and characters. What did you see in Finn?
He is a calm person with a very adult mentality. Very polite and open-minded, which comes from having a family with a background, English (Finn's father is English, ed.). He speaks very fluent English, I think he is a familiar person, but very openI like this mix. He's a guy who has his own opinion and knows how to express it in the right way, politely.
How do you see his growth process? Is it difficult for him to move directly to the WorldTour?
In recent years we have worked with several under-23 teams, where we sent riders to develop and then move up to the WorldTour. We believe that the boys need a step up to the under 23s, to mature and be ready. It's important to us that they have a long career, not a quick one.
With Red Bull joining, is it possible to consider investing and having your own under-23 team?
We have not yet made any internal decisions, We'll meet in the next few weeks and talk about it. Our ambition is definitely to become the best, and I think the junior team has grown a lot in recent years. The ambition for the future is to have a development structure also in the under 23s, but for now we have to wait to understand the plans for the coming years. We always look to the future, but we must align our ambitions with Red Bull's investment.
