"With Jarno, anything is possible" - Motivated by victory in Varese, Lotto DS hopes to see Widar with the best at Lombardia
Cycling
Jarno Widar has been regarded highly in terms of his potential ever since the junior days, but compared to the supertalent Paul Seixas, his talent needed some more polishing before it could truly shine among professionals. Two seasons later, Widar convinced everyone about his quality at Vuelta a Espana, and later also himself with a debut professional victory at Tre Valli Varesine.
Suddenly, Widar heads towards his debut Il Lombardia this Saturday as a serious contender for a top result.
"We have never doubted his talent," outlines sports director Maxime Bouet in an interview for WielerFlits. "He is so extremely talented that before every race we realize: with Jarno, anything is possible."
Turning point in Widar's career
If there ever has been one possible weakness for Widar, it might've been his mentality - often described as fragile. Seeing peers Seixas or Lorenzo Finn slowly grow past him was a real test to the Belgian's determination. And he responded in the best way possible by beating Tom Pidcock and Matteo Jorgenson
Jarno Widar sprinted to victory at Tre Valli Varesine
"I know that his career changed for good at the finish line in Varese. Everything will be different from now on: his mindset, his daring. He now realizes that he can win at the highest level."
"He beats Pidcock, Jorgenson, Simmons... Those are the three men who were among the best riders in the world at the World Championships in Canada a week ago. It might not be a WorldTour race, but to win here, you really have to be a great talent."
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Furthermore, as Widar did ride neither the World Championships, nor European Championships, Bouet believes the 20-year-old might be fresher than some of his rivals at Il Lombardia.
"We can't ignore the fact that he will be among the favorites there. But as a team, we aren't going to put any extra pressure on him after this victory. I've been telling him all year: just race, no regrets."
Based on early nomination, Lotto-Intermarché could employ a dual leader strategy with Lennert Van Eetvelt as the more experienced captain. Furthermore, Georg Zimmermann, Lorenzo Rota, Simone Gualdi, Lars Craps and Reuben Thompson should provide some crucial support.
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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