Lorenzo Finn is 19 and already putting out Pogačar-level numbers: almost 7 W/kg for 25 minutes

Lorenzo Finn is only 19 years old, but his recent performances are starting to place him in figures that not long ago seemed reserved for the great stars of the WorldTour. The Italian recently starred in a spectacular time trial climb at the Tour de l'Avenir, and the power estimates of his ascent approached 7 W/kg for about 25 minutes. Numbers that inevitably remind us of those we are used to seeing in the great displays of Tadej Pogačar.

Lorenzo Finn, 19 years old and numbers that already point to the world elite

Talking about a new Pogačar is as hasty as it is irresponsible. Lorenzo Finn is still developing and is competing this season with the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies team, the training structure of the German team. But his progression and, especially, some of his climbing records explain why his name is starting to generate so much expectation.

Finn was born on December 19, 2006, and his trajectory in the lower categories already offers enough arguments to consider him one of the great talents of his generation.

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The Italian was crowned Junior World Champion in 2024 and just a year later donned the rainbow jersey again by winning the U23 World Championship in 2025.

Instead of immediately making the definitive leap to the WorldTour, Finn has continued his training within the Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies. A 2026 season in which his physical performance has taken another leap and in which he is leaving increasingly difficult records to overlook.

A time trial climb that has shot up all the numbers

The performance that has once again placed Finn in the spotlight came at the Tour de l'Avenir, probably the biggest showcase of stage cycling for future stars.

The Italian won the time trial climb to the Col de la Pierre Carrée, an ascent of 11.5 kilometers at an average gradient of 6.4%, completing the climb in 24 minutes and 37 seconds.

It was not just a victory. Finn finished more than half a minute ahead of the Frenchman Ugo Fabries and practically a minute ahead of Niels Driesen, who came into the day as the leader.

Even within his own team, the magnitude of the performance surprised.

"It was 50 seconds faster than we expected," explained Pello Olaberria, sports director of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies, who acknowledged that from the car they expected a great performance from Finn, but not at that level.

And it is precisely when translating that ascent into watts that the figures that have caught everyone's attention appear.

6.91 W/kg for almost 25 minutes

Several estimates, including that of Lukáš Ronald Lukáč's account on X, have concluded that taking a weight of 59.1 kg as a reference, Finn would have developed around 6.91 W/kg for almost 25 minutes.

An extraordinary figure for any cyclist and even more striking for a 19-year-old rider.

On the Watts2Win website, they analyze the same performance in a somewhat more conservative manner and estimate 6.71 W/kg for 25:22 at the Col de Pierre Carrée.

The specific figure may vary, but both estimates lead to the conclusion that Finn is already capable of sustaining efforts close to 25 minutes at values typical of top-level riders.

And it does not seem to be an isolated performance. At Watts2Win, he is attributed this season 6.57 W/kg for 23:11 in Paltinis, as well as 5.9 W/kg for 55:01 in Lac Balea. Already at the Tour de l'Avenir, he recorded estimated 6.32 W/kg for 22 minutes at Lago Serrù.

His estimated physiological profile is even more surprising. The platform currently places Finn at 6.98 W/kg for 20 minutes, with an estimated FTP of 391 W and a VO2max of 92.

Data estimated by Watts2Win

Are these really Pogačar's numbers?

This is where it is important to separate the impact of the figures from a direct comparison. The major analyses of Tadej Pogačar's performances over the past few years have placed some of his decisive efforts around or above 6.5 W/kg for prolonged periods, reaching even higher figures in shorter efforts.

For duration and intensity, therefore, estimates close to 6.7-6.9 W/kg for about 25 minutes place Finn's performance in a physiological territory that we associate with the absolute elite of cycling.

That does not mean that Finn currently has Pogačar's level.

The race context is fundamental. Finn's performance came in a mountain time trial, where he could approach the climb as a practically isolated effort and manage all his energy for about 25 minutes. The great figures we see from Pogačar usually come within WorldTour stages and, in many cases, after several hours of competition, previous climbs, and a completely different accumulation of fatigue.

But the fact that a 19-year-old cyclist can produce estimates of this magnitude perfectly explains the expectation.