Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe close to signing huge 18-year old climbing talent Jarno Widar

Jarno Widar is one of the biggest talents in the world of cycling. We are talking about an 18-year-old Belgian rider who belongs to the Lotto-Dstny Development Team, with which he has a contract until 2027. However, it seems that his relationship with team owner Stéphane Heulot has deteriorated and he no longer wants to be part of this squad.

One of the most powerful teams in the peloton, Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, has set its sights on him. And the young pearl has been spotted at Red Bull's APC (Athlete Performance Center) near Salzburg, according to WielerFlits. The German squad's intention is to sign him in 2026 - although it's not excluded that his contract can be bought out already this winter.

John Wakefield, Red Bull - BORA's development director, said recently: "The ultimate goal is to build a Tour de France winner over the next five years through our U19 or U23 team, or to find the next Mathieu van der Poel. Widar seems to fit this rider profile perfectly for the future.

This year he has really come into his own. He started the season by winning the Ronde van Limburg under-23 at the beginning of March. He was second in the final overall classification of the Ronde de l'Isard behind Dutchman Darren van Bekkum. He finished 2nd again in the Flèche Ardennaise, beating Spaniard Pau Marti in the final sprint and second to teammate and compatriot Milan Donie.

He won the Alpes Isère Tour ahead of another Spanish rider, José Félix Parra. He also won the Giro d'Italia Next Gen with two stage victories, accompanied on the podium by two other Spaniards, Pablo Torres and again Pau Martí. And he continued his good work in Italy by winning the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d'Aosta - Mont Blanc, taking 4 and a half minutes from his main pursuer.

The last time we saw him compete was in the famous Tour de l'Avenir, where he was one of the big favorites. He was well positioned after stage 4, second, 31" behind Pablo Torres in the overall. Both were caught out in the fifth day, so he fell to seventh place. But he fell apart completely on the last day on the way to Colle delle Finestre, where he lost more than 28 minutes. He then criticized the team for putting him racing too much which led to fatigue in the French race.