Can Jarno Widar follow in Remco Evenepoel’s footsteps in San Sebastián? ‘I’m not coming just to take part’

At just 19 years old, Paul Seixas once again showed that he belongs among the very best riders in the world. The Frenchman finished fourth at the Tour de France, yet less than a year ago he was still fighting hard against Jarno Widar. The Lotto–Intermarché Belgian does not yet have a record comparable to that of his contemporary, but he is now hoping to make his mark in Spain as well.

At the Tour de l’Avenir, Widar was the strongest rider on two uphill finishes, leaving Seixas behind on both occasions. However, the Frenchman took control of the race in the concluding time trial and secured the overall victory. He then went on to win the Tour of the Basque Country and La Flèche Wallonne, finish second at Liège–Bastogne–Liège and take fourth place at the Tour de France.

And Widar? He struggled with his condition and was hampered by a knee injury. That effectively ruined his spring, but on his return at the Tour de Suisse, he showed that he was moving in the right direction again with an excellent performance on the queen stage. After that, however, he disappeared from view once more. “It really is about time that I was able to get back into competition,” he told Het Nieuwsblad. “I did get the chance to race in Switzerland in July, but that was only for a short week.”

A poor opening stage meant that competing for the general classification was no longer possible. “But I still managed to finish fourth in the final mountain stage, behind Pogačar, Bart Lemmen and Lenny Martinez. I was happy with that stage, but apart from that, I would rather look ahead. Cycling moves forward so quickly that there is little point in dwelling on results for too long. Performances from the past do not really interest me.”

That attitude is typical of Widar, who has always been outspoken and ambitious. He never hides his opinions, which sometimes brings him more attention than he would like. Now, however, he must begin turning those ambitions into results. His main objective will be the Vuelta a España, the first Grand Tour of his career. Before that, he will ride the Clásica San Sebastián and the Tour of Burgos as preparation.

Even in those races, however, he wants to show that he means business and compete for strong results. Widar does not expect his recent absence from racing to cause him any major problems. “I absolutely do not see San Sebastián and Burgos as races that are purely about preparation, so that I can then reach my peak at the Vuelta. I want to perform straight away and let my legs do the talking, while hoping that my knee injury leaves me alone.”

This Saturday, he will return to competition in the Basque Country at the Clásica San Sebastián. It will be his first appearance in the classic. In fact, after missing the spring races, it will also be the first WorldTour one-day race of his career. Other riders might experience some understandable nerves ahead of such a test, but not Widar. The young Belgian is already setting his sights remarkably high.

“Beating Remco Evenepoel will be very difficult, and I know that as well,” he said with a laugh. “But I did not spend all those weeks at altitude for nothing. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not coming simply to take part. I would already be pleased with a podium or a top-five finish. I estimate that the recent training camps have made me around ten per cent better than I was in my previous race. So the belief is definitely there.”