"I was overheated and going to cramp up" - Jarno Widar lets Van Aert ride to victory at the end of a hard Vuelta stage
CyclingSaturday, 05 September 2026 at 06:00
Jarno Widar may look back at yet another successful day in Spain. During the thirteenth stage of Vuelta a Espana 2026, the Belgian managed to join the massive breakaway of over 40 riders, and eventually rode to a 4th place on the day.
The start of the stage was anything but easy due to a 14-kilometer ascent Alto de la Venta de la Cebada which was awarded a category 1 status. The breakaway already started to take a shape there, but Widar only made his move a little later as the Lotto-Intermarché youngster admits that he found the initial pace too fast on what was a very warm day.
"I couldn't follow the peloton for the first 20 kilometers," Widar revealed in his interview with Sporza after the finish. "I was overheated. I was lucky that the race closed down. Just after the summit, I was able to attack and ride towards the early breakaway on the descent."
Helped by counter-attack
Eventually, 43 riders made up the leading group, but that quickly split up after 10 riders broke away again. According to Widar, that was a very welcome moment as the tense situation in the group eased off a little, allowing Widar to finally catch his breath.
"After that, I was happy that those ten riders rode away, because I was at my limit. Then I could cool down a bit and ride in their wheels," the Belgian analyzed.
The new leading group spent a large part of the stage with a roughly one-minute advantage over the rest of the breakaway, but eventually their lead started to shrink in the run-in to the final categorized climb of the day. And ultimately, a new 9-rider leading group was born, including Widar.
"The finale was scorching hot. I was close to cramping, so I had to be careful with every sprint I rode so that I didn't reach peak power too quickly. Otherwise, my muscles would cramp up."
Jarno Widar is enjoying a strong Vuelta debut
Team Visma | Lease a Bike was a in full control of the new situation with both Matthew Brennan and Wout Van Aert in the group, taking turns covering attacks. And then it came with three kilometers to go; Van Aert placed a decisive attack that only Valentin Paret-Peintre was able to follow.
"I was expecting that attack from Van Aert," Widar confided. However, he missed something to be able to keep up. "I was on Finn Fisher-Black's wheel, but he let a gap open. I tried to go over it, but I felt I was going to cramp up and that it was better to wait for the sprint."
"Brennan and Van Aert are simply world-class"
In that sprint, only Matthew Brennan was just slightly faster than Widar who crossed the finish line in fourth position, adding yet another good result to the books. "They are simply two world-class riders," Widar says, showering Brennan with praise:
"Brennan has the most WorldTour wins at his age and Wout is a champion. If they take turns attacking, you know that at some point they are going to strike. But I am satisfied with how I rode this stage. As a team, we also did a great job."
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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