While professional cycling may not garner the same unprecedented amount of attention and worldwide coverage compared to its other sporting predecessors, there has since remained a growing interest within the profession and its involvement in sports media coverage which has since expanded immensely in recent years, which now has fans firmly enthralled as to which up and coming names could potentially become the next breakout talents and take the sport forward as a whole.
As one era of individual or team orientated dominance reaches its conclusion, fans are often quick to question as to which names are likely primed to take over as the next formidable force in their respected profession.
Cycling is no different as many regular fans are now endearing themselves towards the next generation of racers who could be set to follow in the footsteps of many renowned talents such as Eddy Merckx, Fausto Coppi and Bernard Hinault to name a few as the next generational talent to represent the sport at the highest level of play.
With an eye towards the future, here are some of the top up and coming racers that are sure to become superstar talents and attain a number of prestigious honors for years to come.
Ben Healy
At just 24 years of age, EF Eduction-Easy Post racer Ben Healy has already won 13 UCI races and has quickly risen up the rankings into the top 40 professional competitors.
Since making the bold move to UCI WorldTeam division in 2022 after some stellar years with Trinity Racing, Team Wiggins-Le Col and Zappi Racing team in the junior divisions and UCI Continental, the Irish starl has quickly become a household name for cycling fans and could be set to become the next one to watch for the foreseeable future as he continues to climb up the world rankings.
Healy’s notoriety amongst cycling fans has become so prominent and noticeable that he is always a regular pick for most punters when browsing the latest cycling betting odds on William Hill with many already proclaiming that Healy could be the next top prospect that cycling has to offer.
Juan Ayuso
Since breaking onto the professional scene following his 2021 season with Team Colpack Ballam, the 22-year-old Spaniard has since remained with UAE Team Emirates in the UCI WorldTour division and has since joined the UAE Team Emirates-XRG side in a deal that has been penned until 2028.
Despite his youthful age, Ayuso has already claimed 20 UCI race wins and has shown immense talent in a variety of trails and terrain which has placed him 28th in the UCI rankings alongside some of the very best veteran talents that the sport has to offer.
His career since joining the UAE Team Emirates has already provided plenty of impeccable performances which include a victory at the Itzulia Basque Country, a pair of stages at the Tour de Suisse and a stage at the Tirreno-Adriatico, with plenty more impactful and impressive display sure to be on the agenda as his upstart racing career continues to progress at a staggering rate.
Jorgen Nordhagen
When you gain the plaudits of former Tour De France stage winner Johan Bruyneel as a future star in the making, then you certainly will be one to watch for any upcoming event, as 20 year old Norwegian talent Jorgen Nordhagen has instantly transitioned into a generational talent in the making who is quickly becoming a topic of high conversation amongst cycling fans and sports media coverage.
Bruyneel has been quick to praise the numerous incredible attributes that Nordhagen possesses and can instantly bring to the competition with his team Visma | Lease a Bike also setting sky high expectations for what could be an increasingly promising professional career in racing.
At this current juncture, Visma | Lease a Bike has two excellent young talents in the aforementioned Nordhagen and fellow teammate Matthew Brennan who has been described as a sublime well-rounded rider which has set team expectations to a high standard and aspirations to an increasingly demanding level of success, which should be no major issue if both young stars can avoid any serious injury setbacks.
Many racing fans are already expecting Nordhagen to be leading the pack for many races in the near future as his promising young career and partnership with teammate Brennan could well be the prolonged sight for podium finishes for many cycling fans across the next few years.
Some other honorable mentions include Danish youngster Albert Withen Philipsen who also gained praise from Bruyneel as a star in the making following his impressive display in the Tour Down Under as well as another talented young Visma rider in Belgium upstart Cian Uijtdebroeks who certainly is a glaring prospect at just 22 years of age and could likely take the racing world by storm alongside his fellow young co-stars.
The post Cycling’s Next Generation of Racers appeared first on PezCycling News.
