Tadej Pogacar and 18-year-old talent Jarno Widar both hold La Redoute Strava KOM after Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Cycling
It was an impressive image: Tadej Pogacar attacking on La Redoute in Liege-Bastogne-Liege as if he were a rocket. The Slovenian from UAE Team Emirates once again exhibited an impressive solo after that attack. He was super fast on La Redoute, although the Strava-KOM was not assigned to him. That honor still belongs to Lotto Dstny's 18-year-old talent Jarno Widar. Well, depends who you ask...
Pogacar took four minutes and three seconds to cross the Redoute on Sunday afternoon (1.5 km at 9.9%). He was one second faster than previous record holder Widar, who rode up the iconic hill like a rocket on October 1, 2023. Widar, still only eighteen years old, dethroned none other than Remco Evenepoel at the time.
However, there is one big but. Widar, 1.66 meters tall and weighing just over fifty kilograms, also has a Redoute segment to his name. Research by Het Nieuwsblad shows that Strava has two segments there with exactly the same name. However, there is a minimal difference in starting and ending points, which also created a difference in the times of Pogacar and Widar.
"Of all the slopes in the Ardennes, La Redoute is my favorite," the Flemish said in conversation with the daily newspaper. "Yet I realize that it is only a segment. So it doesn't really matter to me. Yes, I followed the race last Sunday. At home, from the couch. But certainly not full of excitement about whether or not they would ride faster over La Redoute." A good dose of realism from the Limburger, who states that he is still in possession of the KOM. "I assume that my time will be improved at some point. But then I'm just going to try to take that KOM away again."
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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