With its long and storied history in professional cycling, Belgium is always looking for its next super talent. The general consensus is that 20-year-old Jarno Widar could be that man, and he has just signed a contract extension to stay with Lotto-Intermarché.
Having dominated the under-23 ranks over the last two seasons, winning the Giro d’Italia Next Gen, European Championships and the prestigious Valle d’Aosta (twice), Widar was promoted to the WorldTour with Lotto-Intermarché this season and has immediately extended his stay with the team that developed him from the junior ranks.
Widar will remain with the Belgian team until at least the end of 2028, saying that: “This is the best place for me to continue growing, not only as a rider but also as a person.”
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The Belgian is one of a number of elite young talents on the team alongside sprinters Steffen de Schuyteneer and Felix Ørn Kristoff, and Italian climber Simone Gualdi. With major figures in Arnaud de Lie and Lennert van Eetvelt rumoured for departure at the end of this season, Lotto-Intermarché was keen to pin down its best talent for the coming seasons.
Since joining the WorldTour outfit, Widar has had several solid results, including 4th on the final stage of the Tour de Suisse in June and 6th at the preceding GP Gippingen. He crashed out of the Faun-Ardèche Classic in February leading to a lengthy delay.
Widar is scheduled to continue his season at the Vuelta a Burgos next week and is down to make his Grand Tour debut at the Vuelta a España..
“I feel really good at Lotto-Intermarché,” Widar said in a team press release.
“I’m convinced this is the best place to continue that development over the coming seasons, not only as a rider but also as a person. The team gives me the trust and the opportunities that are so important for a young rider like me. I’m in constant contact with my coach and the rest of the performance staff.”
“Here, I have all the support I need to get the best out of myself every single day together with them. I’m really looking forward to continuing to build on the foundations we have laid over the past seasons, and I will do everything I can to chase great results.”
The team’s management appear to be pinning their hopes on Widar to lead the team into the next few seasons.
Sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer said: “Over the past seasons, Jarno Widar has shown and proven that he possesses exceptional potential. We have become a home where he can continue to grow at his own pace, but above all a place where we can provide him – and tomorrow’s talents – with the very best environment.”