Cycling - Tour de l'Avenir. Marion Bunel defends her title, Paul Seixas and a host of favorites: an XXL startlist

From this Saturday, August 23rd to Friday, August 29th, some of the biggest names in the under-23 cycling world will compete in the men's and women's events. Here's a look at the competition.
The 2025 Tour de l'Avenir line-up is tempting, and it's worth taking advantage of, as this is the last edition where riders from World Tour and ProTeam teams are allowed to start the event.
Among the men, two names seem to stand out from the start list.
With obviously the Frenchman Paul Seixas ( 8th in the Critérium du Dauphiné ) and the Belgian Jarno Widar (double winner of the Tour du Val d'Aoste). But the two prodigies will have a hard time against the Spaniard Pablo Torres ( 2nd and winner of two stages last year), the Slovenian Jakob Omrzel ( 1st in the Giro Next Gen), the Australian Luke Tuckwell ( 2nd in the Giro Next Gen), the Czech Pavel Novak ( 3rd in the Giro Next Gen) or the Norwegian Jorgen Nordhagen ( 4th in the Giro Next Gen).
An exceptional density for this age category.
Marion Bunel comes to defend her titleOn the women's side, Frenchwoman Marion Bunel is defending her title. The French U23 champion, supported in particular by Savoyard Julie Bégo ( 5th in 2024), will have to face Canadian Isabella Holmgren ( 2nd ) and Spaniard Paula Blasi ( 4th in the recent Tour de Romandie).
From Tignes to La Rosière, the stages of the Tour de l'Avenir 2025
Saturday, August 23, prologue: Tignes (3.3 km; men's and women's time trial)
Sunday 24, 1st stage: Aosta - Saint-Galmier (186.7 km men and 129.8 km women)
Monday 25, 2nd stage: Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise - Vitry-en-Charollais (136.7 km men and women)
Tuesday 26, 3rd stage: Étang-sur-Arroux - Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne (158.6 km men and 80.8 km women)
Wednesday 27, 4th stage: Montagnat - Val Suran (110.2 km men and 76.2 km women)
Thursday 28, 5th stage: Saint-Gervais-les-Bains - Tignes (121 km men)
Friday 29, 6th stage A: La Rosière - La Rosière (41.6 km men and women)
6th stage B: Montvalezan - La Rosière (10.3 km; men's and women's time trial).
Le Dauphiné libéré