Following his impressive second-place finish at the Stage 4 of the Vuelta a España In the wake of Tadej Pogacar, Jarno Widar has suddenly found himself in the spotlight of the international cycling scene. For many fans, the Belgian is still an unknown name. However, anyone who has followed the junior ranks in recent years will know that Widar has long been regarded as one of his country’s greatest talents.
From junior star to rising star
Jarno Widar was born on 13 November 2005 in Hasselt, Belgium. He first came to prominence as a junior with numerous victories. In his final junior season in 2023 alone, he won 14 races, including the junior editions of the Tour of Flanders and Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne. He also secured the Belgian road championship title and impressed with his attacking riding style.
The transition to the U23 category went smoothly. In 2024, Widar joined Lotto’s Development Team and, in his very first season, cemented his reputation as an exceptional rider against the world’s best young cyclists.
The first Belgian to wear the pink jersey
Jarno Widar made his definitive breakthrough this season at the 2024 Giro Next Gen, the world’s most important stage race for young riders. There, he won two gruelling mountain stages and became the first Belgian ever to take the overall classification. At the same time, he became the youngest winner in the race’s history.
The climbing specialist also demonstrated his exceptional talent in other prestigious U23 stage races. Among other achievements, he won the Alpes Isère Tour and the Giro della Valle d'Aosta – two races that have, in the past, served as a springboard for numerous future Grand Tour stars.
A climber with great potential
Jarno Widar has the ideal attributes for high-altitude cycling. Standing 1.66 metres tall and weighing around 52 to 54 kilograms, he has the physique of a classic climber. His greatest strengths lie in long ascents, where he can make a decisive difference with explosive attacks.
Comparisons with his compatriot Remco Evenepoel have been a constant feature of his career since his junior years. Widar himself, however, makes little of them and repeatedly emphasises that he wants to go his own way.
The next step in professional sport
Following another strong year in the junior ranks, Jarno Widar was offered a place in the professional squad of his team, Lotto-Intermarché, in 2026. The team sees him as a rider who could compete for top placings in the major stage races in the long term. His development programme was therefore planned with great care.
Following the Tour of the Algarve, the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of Burgos, the current Vuelta a España is now his first Grand Tour at professional level – and that in his first year as a full-time professional. The fact that, on a gruelling mountain stage, he was only beaten by Tadej Pogačar underscores why experts have been raving about him for years. Even though he still has a long way to go to reach the very top of the world rankings, Jarno Widar, at just 20 years of age, has shown that he has the potential to become one of the peloton’s leading stage race specialists in the coming years. With a good position in the overall standings and further strong results on the tough stages, other teams might also take notice of the young driver. However, he is under contract with his current team until 2028 and will have the opportunity to develop further there over the coming seasons.
Leon Weidner
Editor
