Italian sensation Lorenzo Finn (Red Bull-Bora) swept the stage 5 individual time trial of the 2026 Tour de l’Avenir, conquering an 11.4-kilometer mountain test from Les Carroz to Flaine in 25 minutes and 47 seconds to seize the race leadership from Niels Driesen, as reported by EsCiclismo.com.
Fantasy & Market Impact
Finn Masters the Col de Pierre Carrée Cronoescalada
The 2026 Tour de l’Avenir delivered an unforgiving opening alpine test on Monday, August 24, as the peloton faced a brutal individual time trial featuring 736 meters of positive elevation gain. The stage climbed steadily toward the first-category Col de Pierre Carrée before finishing on a demanding gravel stretch in Flaine. According to EsCiclismo.com, reigning under-23 world champion Lorenzo Finn wasted no time establishing supremacy on the 6.4 percent average gradient.
Finn dominated both sectors of the route, clocking a blistering average speed of 26.524 km/h. By the first intermediate checkpoint at 5.5 kilometers, the Red Bull-Bora rider had already built a commanding 18-second gap over Henrique Bravo and 30 seconds over overnight leader Niels Driesen. Crossing the line in 25:47, Finn relegated France’s Ugo Fabries (UAE Emirates Gen-Z) to second place by 34 seconds, while Driesen salvaged third on the stage, 58 seconds adrift.
Quintero Surges into the Top Five for Colombia
While Finn claimed the yellow jersey, the day proved equally transformative for South American representation. Colombian climber Juan Diego Quintero, riding for the Netcompany-Ineos Academy, delivered an impressive display on the slopes of Flaine. As detailed by Revista Mundo Ciclístico and Deportes RCN, Quintero finished the stage in 11th position with a time of 27 minutes and 20 seconds.
That climbing performance propelled Quintero from ninth to fifth overall in the general classification.
| Position | Rider | Team | Time / Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lorenzo Finn | Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe Rookies | 14H06’46” |
| 2 | Niels Driesen | Lotto-Groupe Wanty | + 58” |
| 3 | Kasper Haugland | Decathlon-CMA CGM Development | + 1’36” |
| 4 | Matteo Vanhuffel | Development Team Picnic-PostNL | + 1’42” |
| 5 | Juan Diego Quintero | Netcompany-Ineos Academy | + 2’09” |
GC Upheaval and the Iseran Showdown
The cronoescalada completely reshaped the top ten. Finn now sits comfortably atop the leaderboard, holding a 58-second advantage over Driesen, while Norway’s Kasper Haugland dropped to third at 1 minute and 36 seconds, according to EsCiclismo.com. Matteo Vanhuffel climbed to fourth, and Ugo Fabries capitalized on his stage runner-up finish to vault from 19th to sixth overall.
The tactical battle intensifies immediately on Tuesday, August 25.
Disclaimer: The fantasy and market insights provided are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute financial or betting advice.
