"I felt like they weren't riding hard enough" - Jarno Widar admits a slower pace on stage 9 allowed him to fight for stage win
CyclingMonday, 31 August 2026 at 09:00
Jarno Widar's impressions throughout his debut Grand Tour have been a bit of a rollercoaster, but on stage 9, the young Belgian mixed it with the best and could almost taste the stage victory - but ultimately settled for 7th place.
The 2026 Vuelta a Espana completely changed its dynamics on Saturday with the abandon of race leader Tadej Pogacar. With much more open battle for overall victory, we have witnessed a thrilling tactical finale of the stage where no less than ten climbers competed for the glory.
Widar himself launched two or three attacks, but every one was ultimately neutralized and stage win then went to new red jersey holder Enric Mas.
After the stage, Widar admitted that he felt as though the stage was being raced at quite a low intensity, as compared to during the reign of Tadej Pogacar.
"It was a bit of a shitty day. Personally, I felt they weren't riding hard enough on those climbs along the way. We were still together with 100 guys. I found that pretty annoying," he said, sounding delightfully straightforward.
"On the final climb, I felt that I was okay. I kept believing in myself and chose my own pace every time," he said about his approach. "Only in the last 3 kilometers did I have to try to take a gamble to compete for the win. I paid the price completely for that in the final kilometer by slowing down a bit."
Strategic decision
At first, Widar didn't seem to have the best legs either. The Lotto rider was hanging towards the back of the pack where it seemed as though he might lose contact at any moment. But that never happened, and Widar explains that to have been a (partially) deliberate choice.
"It might have been better to always sit a bit further up front. I also understand that the GC contenders won't let me in because I'm not high in the standings. I don't want to get in the way there either. If I have to let a gap open up, that is quite annoying for them. That is why I chose to overtake everyone from the back."
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Chance to catch breath a bit
After nine days of racing, the Vuelta finally reaches its first rest day. As goes for any other rider, it is a more than welcome change of pace also for debutant Widar.
"But we are cyclists and sometimes we have to train for three weeks in a row," he points out.
The bilance is not bad. A second place in Andorra, 7th today, and a 12th spot overall. Even though, as he himself points out, general classification is not on Widar's mind.
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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- Mou you do go on my friend. Much ado about nothing. As for Lefevere I'm sure you would like him too if you met him in a social situation. One away from the attention grabbing headlines in the cycling press.Cyclingsbestfan31-08-2026
- Sorry, replied to the wrong person, as most will deduct.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Did you miss the other articles??? Mas or Primoz will probably win but the Vuelta story is still dominated by…. and you haven’t said a thing. And depending on final results, a lot will be said with constant reminders of who was absent.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Sweety, i heard my name, are you looking for me? You do need to slow down and read what people write. Not sure why you have it in your head that I dislike Pog. See ya cowboy.
Andrew31-08-2026 - “You will see a couple sitting in the lobby, and anyone who isn’t into cycling would never suspect that the guy in the hoodie is the best cyclist in the world,” This is why I love this sport. No show boating like you would see in F1, football, tennis, golf, etc. On top of this, pro cyclists are some of the fittest athletes in the world and train much more than those aforementioned sports (and get paid much less).Pogboom31-08-2026
- You did a great ride Jarno. The reason why we saw a great race was the fact that it was slower. UAE did not drive up the pace like the would have if Pogacar had been there. The peleton rode sensibly knowing what was coming in that last climb to the finish. It worked out well and we saw a great race. Had Pogacar been there I doubt you would have got that seventh place. With Pogacar out and injured the dynamic of stage racing has changed. It is astonishing the influence Pogacar has had on racing.Cyclingsbestfan31-08-2026
- Why is it arrogant to just try because you personally want to? Especially when you’ve been close to achieving it in the past? I think it’s great he has a go even if his schedule doesn’t allow him. Next up Bol will be considered arrogant because she switched from hurdling to the 800?Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Apparently, it really was because he had one hand off for drinking, I didn’t even know. Lightning strikes twice.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- Maybe he should have put the lol at the end to ensure nobody confused who it was directed at but for me it was pretty obvious. In fact, I’m pretty sure not even his worst enemy or hater would post a LOL directed at him for any kind of injury.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
- OMG Patrick, you’re so out of date and simple. You obviously never think further than 1st degree transactions, even Tronald is smarter than you. I will take this opportunity to slign myself though and admit that on a personal level I would probably like and appreciate him too like one or two other GT winners I have met/meet who I cannot fully appreciate as riders or pros for their choices. And before anyone starts arguing you should consider athletes only for their performances and professional careers, think about whether YOU do that for others in other professions and ask yourself if you’re not then discriminating because you’re biased.Mistermaumau31-08-2026
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