Development Jarno Widar impresses with fifth place in opening stage of Tour des Alpes-Maritimes

With four categorized climbs, the first stage was already set to be challenging, and the bad weather made it even harder. Still, the young riders of Lotto Cycling Team managed to make it a successful day.

Widar stood out in the finale, holding his own against experienced pros on the second ascent to Gourdon and securing fifth place in the general classification. “I didn’t feel great today. I was sick two weeks ago, and I could still feel it in my legs. But I fought through it and managed to get a strong result. I can be happy with my performance,” said Widar.

Sports director Wesley Van Speybroeck looks back on the stage with satisfaction: “Today was the perfect scenario. Baptiste Veistroffer (24) was part of the early break and claimed the green jersey. The peloton controlled the race, making it a hard day. With 26 kilometers to go, a reduced peloton remained, with three of our riders still in it. In the final, the race completely exploded, and a ten-man elite group formed, including Jarno. There was no pressure on him; the main goal was to gain experience. But when you’re nineteen and already sprinting for fifth against such big names, that’s seriously impressive.”

Tomorrow, the second stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes will take the riders from Villefranche-sur-Mer to Vence. Another stage full of climbing.

Photo: Brecht Steenhouwer