Jarno Widar wants to win everything there is in under-23 category before turning pro: "I really want to score at the World Championships in Rwanda"
Cycling
Jarno Widar is one of the most polished gems of Belgian cycling. The 19-year-old climber already managed to win the Baby Giro and Valle d'Aosta in his first year out of juniors and his goals for 2025 are to add Tour de l'Avenir and World title to his palmares before turning professional.
It was after his failure at Tour de l'Avenir that it seemed like he might part ways with Lotto, but the two parties were able to settle their beef and pen a new deal that'll see Widar riding with Lotto until 2027. Did he ever consider other offers? "No, actually, when the new contract was finalized, I signed immediately. I'm here and I'm happy here," he tells In de Leiderstrui during Lotto press day.
"I mainly wanted to stay because of the confidence the team has in me. We were able to draw up a very nice plan for the future. Together with my new coach, I will also do altitude training for the first time this season. I didn't do that last year. I have the feeling that I can make a big step here," says Widar.
"We talked about turning pro this season. I personally wanted to do it too, but the U23 World Championship rule, where pros are not allowed to participate, made it a difficult choice. I absolutely wanted to ride the World Championship in Rwanda, so that was the decision. That is the main goal of my season, I really want to score there. I work every day to be at my best there. In 2026 I will definitely turn pro," he declares.
Confidence
To some he may seem a bit arrogant, but the pocket climber is simply not cut out for losing. "I try to believe in myself as much as possible," says Widar.
"I didn't expect that I would win so much right away as a first-year promise, but I try to work towards a goal every day. You have to believe in it every day. That is perhaps step one of the process. If it is not right in your head, then you cannot achieve much. Because self-confidence gives you so much strength that you become even stronger than you are."
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- Gee, they cant keep their mouths shut for 15 days! Talk after Roubaix if the man didnt deliver, not now.Caralladas31-03-2025
- hoping wout can “kick start” his season at de ronde just shows why hope is a terrible strategy. the hardest race of the classics season with both pog and mathieu on stratospheric form. good luck. and waiting for mvdp to eventually be “not as good” isn’t a great plan either, i think. matthieu only seems to keep getting BETTER.OCexile31-03-2025
- Too much amatuer psychology. How about this: "he was never as good as when he had not suffered multiple career-threatening injuries." What is happening to him is what happened to Alaphilippe, Bernal, and others. You will notice that his two major peers -- MVDP and Mads - are both at their all time best. You will also note that neither is coming off of anything like the same last 18 months that Wout is. Go back to 2022, then roll the tape forward with Wout remaining healhty and one of them having had multiple traumatic falls. Odds are good he'd be at his dominant best and they would not.MidnightRider31-03-2025
- Raymond Poulidor, Alfredo Binda.... where do we stop. If you want to retitle it is Primoz Roglic the bestr rider never to win the tour in the last ten or 20 years then that might be betterslappers6631-03-2025
- Let me help you. Alfredo BindaUpHill31-03-2025
- He'll certainly last it and prob ride his own race, at the front 😁
leedorney31-03-2025 - Gaio Primus Caesar Roglus, Rome is waiting for you, Imperator :-)).
maria2024202431-03-2025 - And he probably wasn’t even at the limit ;-) Have to wonder how much Mads could catch up if he’d tune his physique to be as sharp as MVDPs’Mistermaumau31-03-2025
- Respect for giving Van Eetvelt credit there.Mistermaumau31-03-2025
- He’s already a star for me for HAVING complained about it, the recent trend having been, let them then try to take advantage by making them sign NDAs ;-)Mistermaumau31-03-2025