"Everything starts from scratch": Jarno Widar looks to carve out his own path in debut WorldTour season
Cycling
Jarno Widar's arrival in WorldTour is one of the most anticipated debuts of 2026. After making a name for himself as one of the most outstanding junior talents, the Belgian continued to impress with his raw potential over the two seasons in under-23 category. A period which was concluded in style with a European under-23 title. Now taking a step up, the Lotto-Intermarché starlet has a bright future ahead.
"I started my preparation on November 1st, and everything has gone smoothly since then. I haven't gotten sick yet, so everything is going according to plan," Widar reported to Sporza at a media day.
We're all curious as to where will Widar show off his talents, but the 20-year-old prefers to keep his trump cards close for now. "I always have goals in mind, but I'm going to keep them to myself. It's a bit of a disaster if I say them out loud. I'm going to try to work on them myself and do my best."
Widar will kick off his season in Portugal with the Figueira Classic and the Tour of the Algarve. After that, he'll work towards the Walloon classics. "I'm not doing the Amstel Gold Race for now, but it might remain an option. The Giro d'Italia isn't on the table after that." Neither is Tour de France a part of his plans, but Vuelta a Espana could well be, depending on how season develops.
Comparing to Seixas
One name that usually doesn't go unmentioned when speaking about Widar is Paul Seixas. A year younger Frenchman already made strides in WorldTour as a 1st under-23, finishing 3rd at the elite European Championships, just shy of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, two of the very best in the cycling world.
And the reason Widar would get brought up in connection to Seixas? Widar was able to beat the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider twice at the Tour de l'Avenir, even though he eventually missed out on the overall victory as Seixas turned out to be stronger in both uphill timetrials. Their paths are inevitably going to cross again in the future, although Widar aims to carve out his own path in WorldTour.
"He's done exceptionally well, but he's a different type of rider. We're both climbers, but he's more of a single-paced rider, while I'm more of a puncher-climber."
Remco Evenepoel, Tadej Pogacar and Paul Seixas on European Championships podium
Dream comes true
Widar's explosiveness seems to be his main weapon in tactical finishes. It worked like a charm in juniors, and it did the trick also in under-23s, but will it be enough to set himself apart from other WorldTour riders in the races ahead?
"Everything starts from scratch," Widar is cautious about making future predictions. "You want results, but if I can just become the best version of myself, I'll be proud of myself."
"I haven't achieved anything in the professional peloton yet. It's a new category, with new opportunities. I'm looking forward to it. It's a dream come true. I dreamed of turning pro as a little boy. Now that's happening. Little Jarno would be proud," he concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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