ProTeam Jarno Widar fourth in scorching thirteenth stage of La Vuelta

“The first 20 kilometres were incredibly hard in the peloton, so I was happy that the race settled down relatively quickly”, Widar explains. “Just before the top of the climb, we managed to attack with a group that also included Reuben Thompson. I had already been riding on my limit because I was overheating. So I was happy to have Lars Craps among the ten riders at the front. That allowed me to stay in the wheels a bit more and try to cool down. On the descent, we caught the leaders.”

On the final climb of the day, the Puerto de Granada, everything came back together before a new group formed at the front, with Widar among them. Even in the finale, however, the heat remained a decisive factor. “I was on the verge of cramping. I really had to be careful with every effort I made to avoid getting into trouble and having my muscles cramp up completely. That’s why I always tried to close the gaps at my own pace.”

“I was expecting another attack from Van Aert on the bridge. The rider in front of me let a gap open and I thought: if I push now, I’m going to cramp again. So I decided it was better to wait for the sprint. We couldn’t catch the leaders anymore, but I still managed to sprint to fourth place.”

After a demanding day, Widar was particularly pleased with the team’s performance. “I’m super happy with how we raced as a team today. With Lars Craps and Reuben Thompson, we had three riders in the breakaway, so we executed that perfectly”, he concludes.

Picture: PhotoNews