The Tour de l'Avenir is an important springboard into professional cycling: the stage race with difficult mountain routes in the French Alps is a stage for talented cyclists. Here you can show that you have the talent to win the Tour de France one day. The competition is therefore also regarded as the Tour de France for the under-23 age group. In the men's category, future top professionals such as the Colombians Nairo Quintana and Egan Bernal, the world's best cyclist Tadej Pogacar, the Mexican Isaac del Toro and Paul Seixas, the current super-talent from France, have entered the list of winners.
The end for the U23 race?
The traditional young talent competition has also been held for women since 2023. After the third edition last year, the competition is already at risk of being cancelled. The organiser has cancelled the 2026 edition, as the race's press spokesperson confirmed to TOUR. Initially, lequipe.fr had reported that the competition would be paused for at least a year. According to the press officer, the organisers are working on a new format for next year.
This year, for the first time, the men's U23 race of the same name will be contested primarily by the junior teams of the World Tour teams; previously, national teams took part. Race director Pierre Colliou explained to the portal "Direct Velo" that the structures in the U23 sector in women's cycling are currently not sufficient to adequately staff the race. As an example, he cited the Frenchwoman Marion Bunel, who won the overall classification of the "Tour of the Future" in 2024, but had already competed in the Tour de France Femmes, i.e. the elite pro race, a few days earlier. This example suggests that, unlike for the men, the competition no longer serves as a springboard into the World Tour, but rather offers an additional starting opportunity for young World Tour pros. The 21-year-old Bunel, who is regarded as one of the greatest climbing talents in international cycling, has been riding for the World Tour team Visma-Lease a bike since 2025, but had already competed in the Tour de France Femmes for the small French team St. Michel-Mavic-Auber93 the year before. According to Direct Velo, the organisers are considering starting the race in 2027 as a competition for the junior age group (U19).
Andreas Kublik
Editor
