The 8 young runners to follow in 2025

After shining in the hopeful or junior ranks this year, here are the 8 young riders to follow in the professional peloton in 2025.

Jørgen Nordhagen

At only 19 years old, Jørgen Nordhagen is a rider on whom Visma is banking heavily | Lease a Bike, with whom he is under contract until 2027. It must be said that the Norwegian made a splash this season in his first year with the Espoirs. 3rd in Liège-Bastogne-Liège U23, 3rd in the Tour d'Alsace with a stage victory at the top of the Planche des Belles Filles, winner of the Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giulia, Nordhagen did not start 4th stage of the Ronde de l'Isard, ill, while he was the leader of the race. In the Tour of Germany, his first professional stage race, he took 7th place.

Pablo Torres

Like Jørgen Nordhagen, Pablo Torres is only 19 years old, but it didn't take long for him to shine in the junior ranks. 2nd in the Giro U23, 5th in the Tour du Val d'Aosta or even 3rd in the Giro della Regione Friuli Venezia Giuli, the Spaniard had more difficulty shining in professional races with the UAE Team Emirates jersey. In August, on the Tour de l'Avenir, Torres showed all his qualities as a climber by winning the last stage at the top of the terrible Colle delle Finestre, almost 4 minutes ahead of yellow jersey Joesph Blackmore. This lead was not enough to overthrow the Briton in the general classification, by just 12 seconds. A great hope of Spanish Cycling, Torres has one of the longest contracts in the peloton, being linked with UAE Team Emirates until 2030.

Albert Withen Philipsen

Credit : Kei Tsuji/SprintCyclingAgency©2023

Winner of the Course de la Paix and the Tour du Valromey, two of the most prestigious races on the Junior calendar, Albert Withen Philipsen will be one to watch closely in 2025. 4th in Paris-Roubaix Juniors, the Dane knows how to do it all. He is also an excellent rider, as evidenced by his title of national champion of the CLM juniors or his sixth place during the world championships of the discipline in Zurich. In the road race, while he was the favorite and in the leading group, the future Lidl-Trek runner abandoned after falling.

Paul Seixas

Credit: DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE NewGen

At just 18 years old, Paul Seixas is one of the great hopes of French cycling. In two seasons in the junior ranks, the Lyonnais showed the full extent of his talent. Winner of Liège-Bastogne-Liège Juniors, of the Giro della Lunigiana but also world champion of the CLM Juniors, Seixas will compete in his first professional season in 2025, under the jersey of the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team, with whom he is under contract until 2027. This year, the climber also won the Alpine Classic alone, more than 4 minutes ahead of his runner-up.

Niklas Behrens

Credit: UCI

Just crowned world champion Hopes of road racing, Niklas Behrens has signed up for three seasons with the Visma | Lease a Bike, while he was part of the Lidl-Trek continental team this year. Despite his imposing physique (1.95 m / 80 kilos), the German overcomes bumps well, as evidenced by his victory in Zurich on a demanding course. Excellent rider, very good sprinter, Behrens will be a strong reinforcement for the Visma | Lease a Bike in 2025, particularly on the classics, which should suit its profile.

Léo Bisiaux

Credit: DECATHLON AG2R LA MONDIALE NewGen

3rd in the Race of Peace, 6th in the Giro Next Gen, but also 4th in the Tour de l'Avenir, Léo Bisiaux was efficient and consistent throughout the year, for his first season in the hopeful ranks. An excellent climber, the native of Fontainebleau likes to compete in the general rankings. In 2025, he will play his first professional season at the age of 19, he who is under contract with the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale training until 2028.

Jelte Krijnsen

Credit: Druivenkoers Overijse

3rd in the Olympia's Tour, 6th in the Tour de l'Eure et Loire with a stage victory or even 6th in the Dutch championships, the 23-year-old rider became a trainee for the ProTour Q36.5 Pro Cycling team Team in August. Under the colors of the Swiss team, the Dutchman won Druivenkoers – Overijse solo and took 6th place in the Tour of Great Britain. With his continental team Parkhotel Valkenburg, Krijnsen won alone on the 4th stage of the Tour of Denmark before winning the general classification of the Tour of Taihu Lake, a UCI Pro Series race in China. In 2025, Jelte Krijnsen will play in the World Tour with Jayco-AlUla.

Brieuc Rolland

Credit: La Conti Groupama-FDJ

After two seasons with the Continental Groupama-FDJ, Brieuc Rolland will join the World Tour in 2025. The Breton excelled in the U23 ranks this year by winning the Peace Race, but also the U23 Tour of Lombardy. 8th in the Tour du Rwanda and the Tour de l'Avenir, the 21-year-old rider has already competed in several races with the World Tour Groupama-FDJ, including eight rounds of the Coupe de France where he took a good 3rd place on the Polynormande .