Development Jarno Widar takes fourth place in second stage of Giro Next Gen

The first stage took the peloton from Rho Fiera Milano to Cantù, covering a 146-kilometer course. On paper, the route seemed tailor-made for the sprinters. There was only one categorized climb, but the constant ups and downs, the scorching Italian sun and the steep uphill finish made it much harder than expected.

Jarno Widar stayed alert at the front all day and was able to play to his climbing strengths on the final ascent. That earned him an impressive fourth place. “The plan wasn’t really to go for a result today, since the stage was fairly flat,” Widar explained. “But when I saw that a few GC guys weren’t up front, I decided to sprint on the uphill finish and try to gain a few seconds.”

Sports director Wesley Van Speybroeck is pleased with how the team performed: “The guys rode attentively and positioned themselves perfectly. It’s great to see how they race for each other. Jarno finished it off nicely with a strong result. This is exactly how we wanted to start this race.”

Tomorrow brings the first real test, as the race heads into the mountains. The 143-kilometer stage finishes atop the Passo Tre Termini, where the real battle for the general classification will begin.

Photo: Brecht Steenhouwer