Piccolo and Tiberi are by far the best Italian juniors stepping up to U23. They will both have a development year at Colpack before joining Astana and Trek, respectively. They should already be the best stage racing prospects of that team, maybe together with Vacek if he finds his mojo back after struggling as a first year U23 at Axeon.
Aleotti, 2nd overall at l'Avenir 2019, is doing another year at U23 before joining CCC. He's more of a hilly classics guy though, who got a bit lucky in l'Avenir, but being a third year U23 he could probably repeat a result like that.
Moniquet is another strong final year U23 who climbs well.
Jesus David Peña won the Vuelta a Colombia U23 as a first year U23 ahead of Ardila last year (got hammered in the MTT though), and also did well in the U23 Giro. He could be the main guy for the Colombians this year.
20 year old Maxime Chevalier did really well in some proper pro races last year in addition to coming 4th in the Valle d'Aosta, and doesn't seem to have been picked up by a pro team for 2020.
The sprinter Niklas Märkl has shown some occasional flashes of the great quality he displayed as a junior, and could potentially step up this season.
Some of the best Dutch and German juniors are stepping up to the Jumbo-Visma and Sunweb academies, but they're unlikely to make big waves in their first year, methinks.
Leknessund will probably tear up a lot of the U23 stage races, but he technically already has a pro contract.
Aleotti, 2nd overall at l'Avenir 2019, is doing another year at U23 before joining CCC. He's more of a hilly classics guy though, who got a bit lucky in l'Avenir, but being a third year U23 he could probably repeat a result like that.
Moniquet is another strong final year U23 who climbs well.
Jesus David Peña won the Vuelta a Colombia U23 as a first year U23 ahead of Ardila last year (got hammered in the MTT though), and also did well in the U23 Giro. He could be the main guy for the Colombians this year.
20 year old Maxime Chevalier did really well in some proper pro races last year in addition to coming 4th in the Valle d'Aosta, and doesn't seem to have been picked up by a pro team for 2020.
The sprinter Niklas Märkl has shown some occasional flashes of the great quality he displayed as a junior, and could potentially step up this season.
Some of the best Dutch and German juniors are stepping up to the Jumbo-Visma and Sunweb academies, but they're unlikely to make big waves in their first year, methinks.
Leknessund will probably tear up a lot of the U23 stage races, but he technically already has a pro contract.
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