IPT Academy returns to Giro Next Gen with podium aspirations

When Pau Martí crossed the line five places ahead of Frenchman Mathys Rondel in the final stage of last year’s Giro Next Gen, he stealthily recorded the best result of his career aged just 19.

Now, 12 months removed from his late heroics that earned him a third-place GC finish at one of the most prestigious under-23 races on the calendar, Martí returns to Italy to co-lead the IPT Academy in the eight-day event. This year’s edition begins in Rho, a little under 15 kilometers to the northwest of Milan, on Sunday.

“It was quite a surprise, because it was my first time doing more than five days of racing and the race came after my first ever altitude camp, so we didn’t know exactly how I would go,” says the Spanish rider. “And in the end, it was really special to get the podium in one of the most important races on the under-23 calendar.”

Martí goes into the Giro having won the Course de la Paix stage race in the Czech Republic at the end of May while riding for a Spanish national team. The four-day event came in the middle of an altitude camp at Sierra Nevada, where he finalized his preparation for the Giro.

“The Course de la Paix was still part of the training preparation for the Giro, and the training didn’t change a lot [after winning the race],” he adds.

Lining up alongside Martí will be co-leader Daniel Lima (Portugal), Álvaro Garcia (Spain), and Luke Valenti (Canada), all of whom supported him in last year’s Giro Next Gen, in addition to Belgian rider Jens Verbrugghe. Arguably, the most notable thing about this year’s race is that teams will start with just five riders, instead of the six permitted in 2024.

Sports Director Rubén Plaza says: “It’s going to be hard. Tactically, we need to ride smartly. For me, anticipating the big moves each day is going to be key. We need to be ready for them with Pau or Daniel.

“They can happen so easily – 15 or 20 riders can go clear, and that is the race over. But remember, the conditions are the same for everybody. The strongest Devo teams are all here, but they also only have five riders.”

Allowing for unpredictability, four stages will likely shape the GC: the race’s opening day, 8.4-kilometer time trial, the stage three summit finish at Passo del Maniva, the Queen stage to Prato Nevoso (stage seven), and the final stage that starts and finishes in Pinerolo.

“I think Prato Nevoso will be a decisive stage,” Martí adds, “because apart of being one of the two summit finishes of the race, it has almost 4000m of elevation and [it comes with] one day to go [in the race].

“I think I have the capacity, but in bike racing, everything can happen. I will give everything and will see what happens. It will be a really good result to repeat last year or do even better, but we’ll see when the race starts.”

Plaza is excited about the eight stages that await the IPT Academy’s riders. “The boys have trained well and they are ready. The goal is clear: we want to go for the podium at least, and with Pau and Daniel, the morale is good and they are confident.”

IPT Academy at the Giro Next Gen (Sunday June 15 – Sunday June 22)

Riders: Álvaro Garcia (ESP), Daniel Lima (POR), Pau Martí (ESP), Luke Valenti (CAN), Jens Verbugghe (BEL)

Sports Directors: Rubén Plaza (ESP), Lahav Davidzon (ISR)